Deputies: Man broke into neighbor's home, bound, gagged, raped woman

DELTONA, Fla. — A man confessed to breaking into his neighbor's Deltona home, binding her with a dog leash and a phone cord, and then raping her, deputies said.

The judge denied 26-year-old Nathanael Medina-Gutierrez bail for violation of probation.

On Friday afternoon, deputies arrested Medina-Gutierrez after his probation officer recognized him on TV and led investigators to him.

Medina-Gutierrez  was booked into the Volusia County Jail around 8 p.m. Friday.

Deputies said Medina-Gutierrez confessed to sexually assaulting his neighbor Friday morning. She lives just a few doors down from Medina-Gutierrez.

Deputies said they believe he entered the home on Chippendale Street in Deltona by pulling out a window air-conditioning unit and climbing inside.

"I don't know how he got in and got past my dog, but I woke up and he was on top of me and covering my mouth with a knife," the victim told the 911 operator.

The 32-year-old victim told investigators she awoke to a masked man in her home and was held at knifepoint while the man tied her up.

"I woke up. He was on top of me and covering my mouth," she said. "I was tied up and he was threatening me with a knife on top of me and just tormenting me."

While still tied up, the victim told deputies Medina-Gutierrez paced her room and made awkward conversation and then he cut off her clothes with scissors and raped her.

"He was torturing me for two hours," the victim said.

Deputies said the victim tried to fight back, but couldn't overpower him.

Medina-Gutierrez told investigators he broke in to steal money to re-pay a debt or someone would kill his child. But the woman only had $60 so he took her debit card, three cellphones and two laptops, according to deputies.

Medina-Gutierrez told the victim that people were outside waiting for the money he was supposed to steal and even made signaling knocks on the window, officers said.

Investigators said once Medina-Gutierrez fled, the victim untied herself and drove her car to a friend's house for help, where she called 911.

Officials said the knife used in the attack, as well as some of the victim's property, including the stolen cellphone, were found in Medina-Gutierrez' home.

Medina-Gutierrez was out on parole for fleeing from a crash where someone was injured, according to investigators.

Neighbors said the victim is a full-time student and a volunteer with the Boys & Girls Clubs.

WFTV