She says the attack occurred Friday after she unlocked her minivan in a SuperTarget parking lot in Pasco County.
By JAMIE JONES
Published July 17, 2003
WESLEY CHAPEL - A 31-year-old woman said she was raped in the SuperTarget parking lot Friday afternoon.
The woman told sheriff's deputies that she left the store and walked toward her Honda minivan about 3:40 p.m. She said a man came from behind her van as she was unlocking the driver's side door in the parking lot at 1201 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.
The man pushed the back of her head into the minivan, and she turned to face him, deputies said. The man placed his hand on her chest, leaned her over the driver's seat and ordered her to "shut up," deputies said.
As the man raped her, he looked around the parking lot to see whether anyone was watching, deputies said. After about two minutes, he ordered the woman to stay put as he got into an older model dark blue sports car parked beside the woman's van.
He left on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard toward Tampa.
The man was not armed, deputies said.
The woman sat in her car for 15 to 20 minutes before leaving the parking lot. She drove around for an hour before going home, deputies said.
When her husband returned from work, she told him what had happened, the report said. He called the Sheriff's Office.
The woman told deputies that she had possibly seen the man shopping in SuperTarget before he assaulted her. She offered her clothing as evidence.
The Sheriff's Office did not release information about the rape until Wednesday morning.
Sheriff's spokesman Jon Powers said detectives needed time to investigate.
"In situations like this, before we panic the public, we like to know we're on firm ground," he said.
He said detectives have alerted law enforcement agencies across the Tampa Bay area, asking for help in finding the rapist and checking whether similar cases have been reported.
The woman described the rapist as a white man, 30 to 35 years old, about 5 feet 9 and 180 pounds. He had collar-length blond hair, a mustache, and an obvious scar above his left eye. He wore a yellow shirt and blue pants.
Powers said deputies have not received any similar reports from SuperTarget.
He said the agency has written 31 reports on SuperTarget since August 2001, mostly for burglary, retail and auto theft, routine calls for a major outlet store.
"There have been no other violent incidents in and around that store since it opened," Powers said. "They have a good security system, keep an eye on their parking lot, and so do we."
A SuperTarget manager declined to comment.
Last month, a man robbed a woman of a $6,000 wedding ring as she was leaving the SuperTarget parking lot. She told deputies that a man walked up to her sport utility vehicle and demanded money.
The woman said she had no money, and the man, holding what appeared to be a handgun, said, "Give me your wedding ring, quick." She slipped off her 1-carat diamond, and the robber fled. No arrests have been made.
Different suspects are sought in the robbery and rape cases.
Got a tip?
Anyone with information about the rape case is asked to call Detective Lisa Mazza at toll-free 1-800-854-2862 ext. 7473.
