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Authorities say he drugged and sexually assaulted a woman at a party in Spring Hill.
By JAMIE JONES
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 30, 2001
SPRING HILL -- She felt dizzy and began to vomit. She wanted to go home, but the 25-year-old man put his arms around her, guided her into a bedroom and locked the door.
She screamed but the music was loud and no one could hear. She was weak and disoriented and blacked out for a while. When she woke, her clothes were off and the man was on top of her.
"No," she said.
"Be quiet," he said.
He had sex with her and left the room.
Hernando County Sheriff's investigators say that's what happened at a house party on Oct. 26 at 11465 Exmore St. in Spring Hill. Detective Stacy Rodriguez said the 25-year-old charged in the case is Fredrick William Lindlau of the same address. Rodriguez has a warrant for Lindlau's arrest, but despite surveillance has been unable to locate him.
Rodriguez said Lindlau put some type of drug in the 20-year-old woman's bourbon so he could have sex with her.
"This is a very good case with very good evidence and witnesses," Rodriguez said. "I would not like to see another woman go through what this victim has gone through."
The victim is not being named because of the nature of the crime.
Rodriguez said Lindlau met the woman several days before the party and invited her. When the woman arrived at the party with a friend, a man there took a bottle of bourbon from the refrigerator and poured her a glass. Later, she got another cup of bourbon and asked the men at the party if they wanted some. No one would drink any, Rodriguez said. The woman was the only one to have bourbon, he said.
Later, the two women left the party to pick up another friend. When they returned, they sat on a screened porch and drank tequila and 7-Up. The woman began to feel sick and vomited. A friend carried her to the car, but Lindlau walked outside and told her to come back, detectives said.
The woman told detectives she remembers that Lindlau put his arms around her and led her into a bedroom. She said she was dizzy and could not stand. She said she tried to leave, but Lindlau stopped her.
Her friend went inside and banged on the door, but could not get in, authorities said.
The woman said she remembered telling Lindlau that she did not want to have sex, but he told her to be quiet. She told authorities she could not resist because she was dizzy and weak.
The next thing the woman remembered was leaving the party with her friend and telling her what happened. She was staggering and told her friend that Lindlau hurt her.
The friend drove home and called 911 and the woman's parents, who took her to Spring Hill Regional Hospital.
Rodriguez served a search warrant on the Exmore home the next day to collect evidence. Lindlau and four other men were seen, but investigators lacked evidence to arrest Lindlau. Rodriguez said Lindlau knows he faces charges and is eluding deputies.
Records show Lindlau pleaded guilty to a sex offense against a child in 1995 and was sentenced to three years of probation. He also has been charged with child neglect and possession of marijuana.
In this case, Lindlau faces charges of sexual battery and false imprisonment. Rodriguez said Lindlau is on their most wanted list and asks anyone with information to call 754-6830.
"We want to catch this guy before he hurts anyone else," Rodriguez said.
-- Jamie Jones covers law enforcement and courts in Hernando County and can be reached at 754-6114. Send e-mail to jjones@sptimes.com.