HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - Hollywood Police said the victim of a rape, Saturday night, went back to the scene of the attack afterwards looking for her keys and found a wallet, helping bring about the attacker’s arrest.
Cristian Londono Castro was arrested on charges of armed sexual assault and aggravated battery. Hollywood Police said they were led to Castro’s apartment when the woman he attacked found a wallet containing a Florida ID.
Caterina Schraiber said she heard someone frantically pounding at her home’s front door. When she opened the door, she and her sister saw the victim who, police said, had just been raped repeatedly steps away from their home, on the 800 block of Tyler Street.
“We saw a girl, and her pants were kind of hanging off, so obviously we let her in because she looked like she needed help,” Schraiber said, “and then we locked all the doors and made sure no one was behind her.”
Schraiber, 17, said the victim was still in her uniform from work at a Hollywood Beach restaurant.
According to the arrest affidavit, the victim was walking to her parked car when she was grabbed, a knife held to her neck, and repeatedly raped.
A family friend of the suspect was stunned. “I never thought he would do something like that. Really, he’s not a person like that. He was always soft, a good guy you know,” said the friend, who asked not to be identified. “He also had some mental issues.”
Vivien Robotis, who lives near the spot where the attack took place, said Hollywood is a wonderful place, but the incident is a reminder of the dangers any community can face. “We have a couple of issues with vagrants. We do have that because there’s a lot of homeless people coming from the beach. I had a bum sleep on my step,” she said. “This is a violent crime and that, at this point, is concerning.”
Schraiber’s mother said that she is grateful that the man who allegedly raped an innocent woman is now in jail and her daughters did the right thing. “She was worried, but she was proud,” the 17-year-old said.
Castro appeared in court Monday and was denied bond. He remains in jail, as of Tuesday.
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