Second suspect arrested, accused of terrorizing family, raping woman

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A judge denied bond Friday afternoon for Danny and Richard Cruz, two brothers accused of breaking into a Poinciana home and terrorizing the family inside.

Danny Cruz, 29, was hauled off to jail Thursday night. His brother, Richard Cruz, was arrested earlier in the day.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Richard Cruz and Danny Cruz attacked and brutalized a family on Puffer Court and Halibut Road Monday night.

Judd said it is one of the most ruthless crimes he's ever seen.

"It was horrific. It is one of the most violent, one of the most ruthless attacks we've seen in a long time," Grady said.

Judd said the two men broke in with a machete and firearms, tied up the 20-year-old son and the dad with electrical cords and raped the mother.

"We know that Richard committed murder in the past. We know his younger brother was with him. Both of them violently sexually abused this lady," Judd said. "When you look at a rascal like that, and think you can tell what's on the inside of his brain, you just can't."

Judd said the brothers tried to clean up the crime scene.

"They completely washed her with bleach," Judd said.

Investigators said the brothers took off, leaving a truck at the scene with the machete inside.

They traced it back to Richard Cruz's girlfriend, who said she let the brothers use it, authorities said.

She told investigators that after the crime, the brothers called her asking to be picked up, and they reported the truck stolen the next morning.

Next-door neighbor Josh Brown said that on Tuesday, he was hanging out with the Cruz brothers in their yard while children from both their homes played together.

"They acted completely normal. We never expected anything," Brown said.

The Sheriff's Office said while investigators were questioning Richard Cruz and his girlfriend, Danny Cruz jumped out of a window at the home and ran away.

He's been on the run for days but now joins his brother in jail.

The girlfriend has not been arrested and did not want to comment Friday.

WFTV