Armed man accused of barging into massage parlor, demanding sex act

EUSTIS, Fla. — A 35-year-old man armed with a gun barged into a massage parlor Thursday morning, demanding that a worker perform a sexual act on him, the Eustis Police Department said.

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Police said they were called shortly after 10:30 a.m. to A1 Massage on South Bay St near West Mills Avenue after Timothy Paul Taylor walked through a back door and approached the employee.

“The victim stated they do not do that at her business,” police said in a news release. “The male grabbed the victim by her hair and forced her head down toward his crotch area. He pulled his pants down and pulled out a black handgun and put it to her head and demanded she perform oral sex on him.”

Investigators said the woman again advised Taylor that “her business does not do that.”

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Taylor then told her that if she called police, he would come back and kill her, officials said.

He ran out back door and got into a black Chevy, which was parked behind the business, and drove away, police said.

The woman ran out the front door to a neighboring business to call 911. She was not physically injured.

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Lake County deputies said they determined that Taylor returned the vehicle to his relatives and ran away from their home.

Investigators said the Lake County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was used to find Taylor, who was hiding in a wooded area near Selleen Drive and Gettford Avenue.

They said a K9 was deployed and Taylor was arrested at about 2:30 p.m.

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He was taken to a hospital to be treated for the injuries he sustained during his arrest and was charged with attempted sexual battery, aggravated battery, aggravated assault and resisting arrest.

“A black pellet gun was recovered near the business where the victim was attacked,” police said in the release. “It is unknown at this time if this was the weapon used by the suspect.”

See a map of the scene below:

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