Photo via SPD
SARASOTA, Fla. - Police in Sarasota say they’ve arrested the man who approached two different women and then raped them at Fredd Atkins Park earlier this year.
Back in March, police say, a woman told them a man tried to help her after she had fallen asleep at the park in February. But the man forced himself on her and raped her, saying he would smother her if she did not be quiet.
In July, another woman told police that a man approached her and offered her "crack" for sex. When she refused, he pushed her down, told her to be quiet, then choked and raped her.
Police say the women did not know each other but offered similar descriptions of their attacker, saying they had seen him in the area before. Investigators eventually developed enough of a description to identify Gerald Hobson as a possible suspect; both women then picked him out of a photo lineup.
Hobson, 25, was arrested Sunday after detectives learned he had an outstanding warrant for a traffic violation. He has since been charged with two counts of sexual battery and is being held on a $100,000 bond.
Police say Hobson lives along nearby Chilk Avenue and had three felony convictions in 2018 for burglary, possession of a controlled substance, and grand theft.
Detectives say they “have reason to believe” there may be additional victims in this case. They ask anyone with information to call Detective Angela Cox at 941-263-6075 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS, or online at www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com.