As her two sons hid in another room, the victim was beaten severely and left unconscious.
By CHRIS TISCH
Published January 10, 2004
SAFETY HARBOR - A man dressed in dark clothes and a ski mask severely beat a woman in her Safety Harbor home Thursday night after she and her two young sons returned home from dinner.
Niccole Halpin, 32, and her sons, ages 7 and 9, returned to their Safety Harbor home about 9:30 p.m. Thursday. Halpin then called her boyfriend at his home. As they spoke, Halpin suddenly screamed and went off the line, Pinellas sheriff's officials said.
Halpin's boyfriend called 911. When deputies arrived, they found Halpin unconscious in a bedroom of her Clearview Drive home. She was taken to a local hospital with upper body trauma and was in critical condition, officials said.
Her sons, who hid in another bedroom while their mother was attacked, were being cared for by family members, officials said. The boys were not injured but were emotionally shaken by the incident.
"The kids were afraid and they went to another part of the house," said Sgt. Michael Madden, supervisor of the Sheriff's Office homicide squad. "Initially, they didn't want to answer the door for the deputies, but when they realized it was law enforcement, they met with the deputies."
Detectives reported no arrests Friday. They are trying to determine if the crime was random or if Halpin was targeted. Halpin's sons were only able to describe the assailant's clothing, sheriff's office spokesman Mac McMullen said.
"We don't know if it was a random crime or not," McMullen said. "We don't think so, but this is an open investigation and we're going to examine all possibilities."
Sheriff's officials said forensic teams were still working to determine how the attacker entered the home and if anything was taken.
"Right now, we don't have an obvious motive," McMullen said.
Neighbors said Halpin moved into the home within the past year. They described the neighborhood as quiet and safe.
Sheriff's officials said there have been no similar attacks in the area recently. They did not release the names of Halpin's sons or her boyfriend. Because the attacker is still at large, they also didn't release what hospital was treating Halpin. "It was very serious when she was transported out of the residence," McMullen said of her injuries.
Madden said investigators canvassed the neighborhood after the attack but found no neighbors who saw anything suspicious.
Sheriff's officials said they don't know if the attacker followed Halpin home or if he was in the house when she arrived. Madden said the attack occurred shortly after her arrival as she was talking on the phone to her boyfriend.
"He hears a scream and then there is no more conversation from her side," Madden said.
Madden said the boyfriend, who lives about 15 minutes away, then drove to Halpin's home, arriving shortly after deputies.
- Times researcher Cathy Wos contributed to this report. Chris Tisch can be reached at 445-4156 or tisch@sptimes.com
Anyone with information about the attack in Safety Harbor on Thursday night can call the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office at 582-6200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-8477.[Last modified January 10, 2004, 01:16:20]
