The Gainesville Police Department is looking for anyone who has information related to an attempted sexual battery and armed robbery that occurred Saturday morning on the second floor stairwell of building D at the Enclave Apartments complex, 3500 SW 35th Place.
Police arrested Roderick Kantrel Pittman, 28, on charges of loitering and prowling, pending further information to the attempted sexual battery and robbery. Police said Pittman was walking near the building and carried a knife and two condoms. He also had a cut on his arm, according to GPD.
The victim called police at 3:18 a.m. when she was on her way to Shands Hospital to treat injuries she received during the attack. The victim said a black man who wore black clothing and was armed with a knife and gun approached her in the stairwell, demanded her belongings and tried to attack her. At one point, the suspect pointed his gun at a person who tried to help, according to GPD.
The victim and witness could not positively identify Pittman as the suspect, so GPD is asking for people who were in the area at the time and may have witnessed the attack to provide information. Two college-aged, white men who stopped by the building to ask the victim and witness if everything was OK may have seen the suspect. Another man who was leaning over the second floor guardrail may have seen the attacker, too.
"I feel like here, with a lot of students, security is going to be high," said Mark Feldman, an Enclave resident. "It's a pretty nice place, so it's kind of surprising."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Chris King at 393-7660. Anonymous tips can be made by texting “GPDFL” and relevant information to 274637.
Dana Edwards wrote this story online.