LaBelle man charged with sexual battery, kidnapping could have more victims

LABELLE, Fla. — A LaBelle man has been arrested and charged with kidnapping and sexual battery after deputies say he assaulted a 19-year-old woman at a local bar, and they believe there may be more victims.

The Hendry County Sheriff's Office said the 19-year-old victim was sitting at the Boat House Tiki Bar & Grill in Fort Myers when Matus bought her a drink on February 6th.

After consuming several drinks, the woman told deputies she didn't feel well and experienced an unusual reaction to the alcohol.

"She said she had drank alcohol before and she knew that she was having a reaction that wasn't typical of previous times," said Captain Susan Harrelle with the Hendry County Sheriff's Office.

The victim said she went to Matus' truck but couldn't remember how she got there. A friend of Matus drove her car and left it somewhere.

"We don't know who he is," Captain Harrelle said. "We don't know how long he was there. We don't know exactly where the truck was found."

While in Matus's truck, the woman said he showed her two guns and told her he was wealthy but had made bad decisions in the past. Feeling scared, she went inside the former Infinity Steakhouse building, where deputies said Matus lived.

The sheriff's office said Matus then sexually battered her as she tried to resist. The next day, he took her to her truck, and she later reported the incident to the sheriff's office.

During the investigation, a detective made a startling connection to a November case.

"This same detective also is involved in a previous sex battery report on the same suspect - same circumstances - so he's also arrested and charged with that sexual battery," Harrelle said.

After the sheriff's office posted about the cases on Facebook, a third potential victim came forward.

"This is an ongoing investigation. They're going to continue to follow up with this," Harrelle said.

Investigators are encouraging other victims to come forward.

"Please don't try to push it down and deal with it. We really want people to come forward and say something," Harrelle said.

Matus has been charged with kidnapping, two counts of sexual battery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. During a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday, a judge ruled that he must remain in jail with no bond.

You can find the original report Fox 4 did here.

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