Deputies searching for attempted sexual assault suspect who used stun gun on victim

Search for sexual assault suspect

Hillsborough County deputies are searching for a man they say used a stun gun in an attempt to rape a woman as she returned home from the grocery store.

TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County deputies are searching for a man who used a stun gun on a woman returning home after a trip to the grocery store and tried to rape her.

According to deputies, the woman saw the man loitering at the Captiva Club Apartments at around 7 p.m. Tuesday, moments before he used a stun gun on her and forced her into her apartment. The suspect then tried to take the victim’s pants off but ran away when she started screaming, according to HCSO.

"This could have been a lot worse, but because of her heroic and brave actions in trying to get help, she was able to minimize how horribly this could have gone," said Marco Villareal, a spokesperson for HCSO. "That's what makes it scary is this guy not only used force, but he used a weapon in trying to get what he wanted, making this very violent. So he might still have that stun gun. We're not sure. We want people to be careful when they do report him. If they see him, let us know right away."

The suspect is described as a Spanish-speaking man between 35-40 years of age. He's of medium build with an olive complexion, clean-shaven, brown eyes, and short black hair with some gray in the front. He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black basketball shorts, and yellow Nike sneakers. He has a 1/2 inch scar near his left eye.

"The actions of this suspect are disgusting, violent, and dangerous. We commend the bravery of the victim for coming forward and reporting him to law enforcement," Sheriff Chad Chronister added in a statement. "This is a man that needs to get taken off the streets immediately."

Anyone with information about this suspect is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at (813) 247-8200.