Cole Hackner, a 22-year-old man from Boynton Beach, a city on Florida’s southeast coast, was accused of assaulting a woman in May and arrested Sunday, October 4, after an investigation that lasted several months. Police had found the woman injured in the front yard of Hackner’s home.
Boynton Beach police responded to a disturbance at a residence on NW 13th Avenue around 1:16 a.m. on May 27 and found a battered, bloodied woman in the front yard, according to WPEC. The station reported that she told officers Hackner had beaten and sexually assaulted her inside the home.
The investigation included neighborhood surveillance footage that reportedly corroborated the woman’s account of events outside the home. WPEC also reported that the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office crime lab found matching DNA evidence linking Hackner to the scene.
Severity of the Victim's Injuries
WPEC reported that the woman had met Hackner at a Vero Beach bar earlier that night and rode to his home in his Tesla. According to the station’s account, Hackner became aggressive during the encounter, pinning her down, punching her repeatedly in the face, biting her, choking her and slamming her head against the floor while threatening to kill her. She escaped through the front door and activated the Tesla’s car alarm to attract attention from emergency responders. The report said she had deep bite marks on her breasts and other severe injuries, was hospitalized for infections stemming from her wounds and was left with permanent scarring.
WPEC reported that Hackner initially denied wrongdoing, saying a fight began over a misogynistic joke and denying any sexual contact. The station said he changed his account during questioning before admitting to physical violence and sexual activity. Its reporting also described other reported violent incidents involving Hackner and women in Palm Beach County.
Family Members Warned Police About His Temper
WPEC’s account of the investigative records included warnings from Hackner’s parents about his behavior. His father reportedly told detectives to be careful, described him as someone who weaves stories and lies, and called him a problem. The father also reportedly said Hackner had tried to physically attack his mother. His mother reportedly described him as troubled, said he had a history of assaulting women and said he becomes violent when he drinks.
Hackner had also been arrested earlier in the year. WPEC reported that on July 3 he was arrested on allegations of domestic battery and battery by strangulation after allegedly choking a female acquaintance for 30 seconds, slapping her and hiding her keys to stop her from leaving. The woman reportedly texted for help during the encounter. He spent a month in jail and was released August 4; charges from that arrest were later dropped.
Why the Months-Long Gap Before Arrest
The four-month gap between the May 27 incident and the October 4 arrest does not, by itself, establish why the arrest took months. The Palm Beach County SART Connection newsletter discusses timely results, reducing backlogs and CODIS hits generally, and refers to an FDLE sexual-assault-kit progress report.
As general legal context, The Quisenberry Law Firm says Florida classifies sexual battery involving physical force likely to cause serious injury as a life felony, with penalties that can include life imprisonment and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration, according to the firm’s summary. Hubbs Law says sexual battery is an enumerated dangerous crime that can allow pretrial detention when probable cause and community-safety risks are established, according to its explanation. These general descriptions do not establish what charges or release conditions apply in Hackner’s case.
His prior July arrest adds another layer to his legal exposure. Domestic battery by strangulation is a third-degree felony in Florida, punishable by up to five years in prison, mandatory completion of a 29-week Batterers' Intervention Program, and a criminal record that cannot be sealed or expunged, according to Richard Hornsby Law. Florida law also provides for pretrial detention in specific categories of cases, according to the Weinstein Legal Team.
Survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Palm Beach County have access to local support resources. Aid to Victims of Domestic Violence operates a 24-hour crisis hotline at (800) 355-8547, along with an emergency shelter. A 24-hour hotline is also available at (561) 833-7273.
Palm Beach County crisis support
The 15th Judicial Circuit of Florida lists a 24-hour crisis hotline at (866) 891-7273.
