ORLANDO, Fla. — A man arrested Tuesday is accused of entering a woman's apartment, raping her and cutting her throat. He was arrested for the attacks of two women at two different apartment complexes along Millenia Boulevard in the past month.
The most recent incident happened on July 2 on the 5200-block of Millenia Boulevard at The Place at Millenia (see map).
Orlando police arrested 22-year-old Fernandito Carpio, who is being held at the police department. Police believe Carpio went to the apartment complex and the one across the street on a separate occasion with one goal: find a victim to attack and rape.
Orlando police say Carpio is responsible for raping one woman, attempting to sexually batter another and then trying to kill both victims.
The most recent attack happened on July 2 at The Place at Millenia. Police believe Carpio followed a woman home from the grocery store and then went into the 24-year-old's apartment, raped her and cut her throat.
"The victim was coming upstairs. It's my understanding she had gone to the store or something. The guy asked if he could borrow a phone," Barb Jones of the Orlando Police Department said.
Then, seconds later, police say Carpio barged his way in through the victim's apartment, used a carpet cutter to slash her throat and then raped her.
"You have a case like this where, not only was the lady violated, the suspect left her for dead and her throat was literally slashed from here to here," Jones said.
Over the weekend, while investigators were searching for the suspect, they received a tip he could also be responsible for the attempted murder and attempted rape of a 34-year-old woman on June 13 at the Fountains Apartments, which are across the street on Millenia Boulevard.
Police say he followed his 34-year-old victim into the restroom, nearly strangled her to death and then tried to rape her. Officers said, in that June incident, Carpio got scared and ran away.
Residents who live in both apartment complexes are breathing a sight of relief knowing the accused attacker is in jail.
Carpio was identified by the victim in the June 13 case and officers obtained a warrant for his arrest. The 24-year-old woman, who was raped inside her apartment on July 2, was also able to identify Caprio as her attacker, investigators said.
Carpio is charged with two counts of attempted murder, attempted sexual battery, home invasion robbery and armed sexual battery.
Carpio is in jail with no bond and is expected to face a judge Wednesday morning.