A late-night drive home from work turned into a roadside nightmare for a Davenport nightclub employee, after deputies say a customer followed her from the club and attacked her at a gas station on U.S. 27 early May 10.
The woman, identified by investigators as a dancer, told deputies she noticed a Chevy pickup trailing her as she headed south from Lake County. When she pulled into a gas station in Davenport, the driver allegedly walked up to her car, reached through the open window, grabbed her by the throat and punched her. She said she managed to spray mace during the struggle, but told investigators the man grabbed the canister and took off. Deputies say they found the suspect’s truck near Posner Park just minutes later and took him into custody.
What the sheriff's office said
In a May 11 news release, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said the attack happened around 2:15 a.m. as the dancer drove south into Polk County. The release identifies the suspect as 23-year-old Jaden Richard of Haines City and states deputies quickly spotted his Chevy near Posner Park and arrested him shortly after the incident.
Details from local reporting
According to West Orlando News, the victim told investigators the man insisted she give back money he claimed to have sent her through Cash App. She said he rammed her vehicle before confronting her at the pump. That reporting also notes that after the arrest, deputies found the woman’s keys and the mace canister behind the driver’s seat of the suspect’s truck.
Charges and next steps
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says Richard was booked on multiple felony counts, including burglary with battery, robbery by sudden snatching, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, following/harassing and felony criminal mischief. The agency’s release did not list a bond amount or court date. Prosecutors in Polk County will review the case and decide whether to file formal charges.
How to help
Investigators say the case is still active and they are open to additional leads. Anyone with information is asked to call the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200 or email [email protected]. The contact details were included in the sheriff’s public information release for potential witnesses or anyone who might have seen the vehicles along U.S. 27 that morning.
