A 24-year-old man is behind bars facing charges of sexual battery, battery, and indecent exposure after an early morning altercation in Golden Beach. Gabriel A. Flores allegedly attacked a 58-year-old woman who was walking along Ocean Boulevard around 2:15 a.m. on Monday, as reported by Local 10.
The incident unfolded when, according to the victim's account to police, she was beckoned by Flores who was openly masturbating. Reacting to the distressing exposure, she attempted to escape by climbing over a fence, but Flores followed and, causing her to suffer visible facial lacerations, he punched her in the face. The report from NBC Miami states that the woman fell to the ground following the blow.
In a terrifying continuation of the assault, police say Flores began to choke the woman after she had fallen. The attack further escalated as Flores is accused of groping her breasts and sexually battering her. All the while, the victim struggled to fend off her attacker and screamed for help. Authorities were alerted, and Flores subsequently fled the scene on foot.
After the attack, Flores was apprehended and taken into custody. His memory of the alleged incident was fuzzy; he told investigators that "he could not recall anything" before exercising his right to silence, awaiting a lawyer, according to NBC Miami. The bond for Flores was set at $102,000 during a court appearance on Tuesday, a sum that seems hardly sufficient for ensuring the safety of the community, given the gravity of the charges.
Details on how police managed to locate Flores after the crime were not disclosed in the arrest report. To those reading of such brutal encounters, the fabric of safety in our daily walks is often left feeling tenuous, leaving us to question the sanctity of our streets. Flores is currently held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center pending further legal proceedings.
