The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has reported the arrest of Joseph Parrott, 37, following a spate of burglaries and sexual assault incidents in the Westside area of Jacksonville. According to Action News Jax, the series of crimes occurred mainly around San Juan Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard.
Detectives were able to link Parrott to the incidents after he was initially arrested on unrelated charges when he was seen fleeing officers. As stated by News4Jax, Parrott allegedly entered residences through unsecured accesses and engaged female occupants before making his presence known and fleeing on foot – a detail that, tracking Parrott, detectives were able to orbit the vicinity and subsequently made the arrest after an attempt to flee on a bicycle.
He was later re-arrested for multiple crimes including attempted sexual battery, burglary, and grand theft, as reported by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. The arrest followed a community alert with pictures and information about the suspect, leading to his containment by officers in the area. First Coast News noted that the initial news release in September did not mention sexual battery.
During the continued investigation while Parrott was detained, the Special Assault and Burglary units examined the evidence collected from the scenes and spoken with victims and witnesses. After the painstaking work of examining evidence and listening to the testimonies by victims shook by the ordeal, detectives secured enough information to implicate Parrott in these heinous acts. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is urging anyone with more information regarding the cases to contact them at 904-630-0500.
