Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Florida man charged with sexually, physically assaulting man with CP

From the Palm Beach Post:

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Police say a 19-year-old sexually and physically assaulted a 40-year-old man with cerebral palsy in his apartment before stealing his wallet and cell phone.

Eric Wells, of West Palm Beach, was arrested Feb. 25 and charged with sexual assault, robbery with a weapon, burglary with assault, armed burglary, and two counts of kidnapping. He is being held at Palm Beach County Jail without bond.

West Palm Beach police arrived at the home of the victim, who is unidentified, at about 8 a.m. Feb. 20. There they found the victim punched in the face.

Wells told police he was knocking on doors in the apartment building near Military Trail and knocked on the victim's door and was told to come in, the report says. He said he walked in asking for someone, walked out, and fell asleep in the stairwell.

The victim told police Wells came into the apartment and punched him in the eye. He then sexually assaulted him while holding a steak knife on his neck, the police report says.

Wells told the victim to hide in a closet and count to 60, 20 times while he went through the victim's dresser in search of a wallet. Wells took the wallet and the victim's cell phone, the report says.

The victim's injuries include a broken nose, a laceration to his upper left eyebrow and a cut on his neck, the report says.

Neighbors of the victim said they saw a man sleeping in the stairwell who matched Well's description. Later, police recovered the wallet, cell phone and two condom packages from behind the building. Fingerprints taken from the cell phone matched Wells'.