Bat-wielding neighbor saves housekeeper from sexual assault, Maitland police say

MAITLAND, Fla. — A man who witnessed a troubling situation at his neighbor’s house decided to jump into action and after calling 911, grabbed a baseball bat and got involved, the Maitland Police Department said.

The incident started when a 23-year-old man, later identified as Robin Campbell, walked up to an apartment in the 600 block of Robinhood Drive Monday looking for a friend and asking for a glass of water, officers said.

Bill Rooks, 89, was having lunch with his 59-year-old housekeeper, and when they opened the door, Campbell forced his way inside and allegedly tried to sexually assault the housekeeper, investigators said.

“He rushed in with both arms and he grabbed her, like shoving me out of the way with his shoulder, and went right through me, and I thought, ‘Well, we’re in trouble here,’” Rooks told Channel 9.

Campbell pushed Rook out of the apartment, so he ran upstairs and started pounding on a neighbor’s door.

“He said, ‘We’re being attacked,’” neighbor Eric Love said.

He called 911, grabbed his bat and ran downstairs, Love said.

Finding Campbell on top of the housekeeper, Love pulled him off and told him to leave, the Maitland Police Department said.

“He kept saying, repeatedly, ‘I just haven’t been with a woman in a long time. Like, please, just let me go,’” Love said. “I told him, ‘It doesn’t work like that, buddy. Get on the ground.’”

Campbell took a swing at Love, who responded with the bat, hitting the man in the leg, investigators said.

Campbell was able to flee the scene, but turned himself in to police the next day, the Maitland Police Department said.

Rooks was thankful that Love was around to stop the attack.

“I think he saved the day for both of us, that it might have been a lot worse if he hadn’t have did what he did,” Rooks said.

The incident was not Campbell’s first run-in with the law.

According to records, police had to use a Taser on Campbell in 2013 after he threatened officers when they found him walking his dog while naked.

Cox Media Group