ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A man identified by deputies as a high-risk felony offender was arrested Monday, accused of forcing his way into an Orange County hotel room and attempting to rape the 18-year-old occupant.
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Deputies responded to the Stayable Suites at 8700 S. Orange Blossom Trail just before 7 p.m. Monday for reports of an attempted sex assault.
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The victim told deputies they were in the hotel room when there was a light knock on the door.
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According to an incident report, the victim said they thought they knew the person knocking on the door and opened it.
Instead, deputies say a man later identified as 54-year-old Fredrick Batese Howard forced his way into the room and pushed the victim onto the bed while covering their mouth.
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According to an incident report, Howard eventually removed his hand long enough for the victim to scream, at which point Howard ran from the room.
Later, a deputy drove the victim past Howard and they positively identified him as the attacker.
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Deputies interviewed Howard about the incident and noted he was caught lying multiple times.
Howard admitted he’d been released from jail less than a week earlier for another violent incident. Deputies also identified him as a transient and high-risk sex offender with a long history of prior arrests.
Howard was booked into the Orange County jail Tuesday on charges of attempted sexual battery, burglary, and battery. He’s being held there after having his bond revoked on the previous charge.
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