A West Palm Beach man is accused of pointing an AR-style rifle at his girlfriend and her sister, preventing them from leaving, and forcing one woman into sex before fleeing in a pickup truck Thursday morning.
According to WPBF 25 News, 21-year-old Terrence Cruder faces charges including sexual battery with a deadly weapon or physical force, two counts of false imprisonment, aggravated assault with a firearm, domestic battery by strangulation, grand theft auto, possession of cocaine, possession of a firearm during a felony and violation of probation. Officers took Cruder into custody without incident and booked him into the Palm Beach County Jail.
Affidavit Describes Gunpoint Attack Inside Home
The probable-cause affidavit says Cruder grabbed his girlfriend by the neck, struck her in the face and threatened both women with the rifle. Investigators documented visible injuries to the girlfriend’s face, while police allege Cruder forced her to engage in sexual intercourse against her will and prevented the women from leaving the room.
Florida Courts guidance describes sexual battery involving a deadly weapon or force likely to cause serious personal injury as a life-felony category under state law, according to the court system’s sexual-violence benchcard. The filing of charges does not establish guilt, and the allegations will have to be tested in court.
Police Say Investigation Also Led To Drug And Auto Charges
WPBF 25 News reported that detectives said Cruder admitted taking a white Ford pickup truck from the 3300 block of Windsor Avenue without permission after finding it unlocked. Officers later reported recovering a black Gucci bag containing a Hydra Lancer Tactical AR-style rifle and Cruder’s Florida identification.
Police also said a baggie found in Cruder’s processing area contained a white powdery substance that field-tested positive for cocaine and weighed about 3.6 grams. No additional court outcome was immediately available.
