A Lehigh Acres man was sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and 30 years in prison for sexual battery under specified circumstances after attacking a woman in June 2023.
According to the State Attorney's Office, Julio Enrique Velazquez , 26, attacked a woman after offering her a ride home from a club on Palm Beach Boulevard.
Instead of driving the victim towards her home, Velazquez started driving toward a secluded wooden area in North Fort Myers.
The victim warned Velazquez to stay away from her while holding a broken beer glass she found in his vehicle.
Velazquez ran after the victim and after pulling her to the ground, began punching and raping her.
The victim was eventually able to get away and knock on a nearby house for help. The resident who answered the door called the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies arrived at the scene and searched for the suspect. They used surveillance video from the club the victim attended to get additional details on the suspect.
Deputies located Velazquez's vehicle off Ortiz Avenue and detained him. The investigation led to the identification of Velazquez as the perpetrator of the crime.
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