A suspect has been arrested after a manhunt in the attempted kidnappings of two women at a Florida golf community, authorities have announced.
The suspect is a 13-year-old boy, officials said.
Frightened residents had been warned earlier this week to remain hypervigilant, lock their doors and walk with a buddy after two women were assaulted within days of each other in the tourist enclave of Vero Beach.
On Wednesday,Indian River County SheriffEric Flowers held a press conference at the Pointe West development, where he told cheering residents that multiple tips from the public had led to the arrest of a suspect in connection with the assaults.
"I'm here to tell you the suspect is 13 years old," the sheriff told dozens of community members, who gasped and groaned in response. The boy, who lives in the community, has been charged with one count of attempted kidnapping, Flowers said.
The boy is being held at a juvenile detention center in Fort Pierce, the sheriff said. Inside Edition Digital is not naming him because of his age. He has not been charged as an adult.
“We asked him, is it sexual? What is it? Why is it that you do this?” Flowers said.
“His story was that he felt like he was in a dream-like state. That he was watching himself from above. That he didn’t know if it was real or it was a dream. And even when his mom confronted him, he would not say what his purpose was or why he did it,” the sheriff told residents at the press conference.
The attempted kidnappings occurred after dark on July 2 and July 7, Flowers said. In both incidents, the suspect had a knife, investigators said.
According to an arrest report released by the sheriff's department, the most recent attempt involved a 46-year-old woman who reported she was grabbed from behind while standing on her porch.
The woman told investigators her assailant, who was masked, said, "You’re not going to make a f***ing sound, do you understand? You’re coming with me.”
The woman said she tried to bite and kick him while she stumbled and fell. She believed her attacker was a man, according to the arrest report.
At Wednesday's press conference, the sheriff said the 13-year-old suspect is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. He is in the eighth grade, and may have mental health issues, the sheriff said.
Flowers thanked the community for their help, saying at least four people contacted investigators after surveillance video was released, saying the suspect looked like someone they knew.
The boy was later arrested at his home, and was brought in for questioning with his mother, the sheriff said.
“He admitted, somewhat, that he was the guy who did this,” Flowers said Wednesday. "He saw the (surveillance) video."
The boy's mother is distraught, the sheriff said.
"Mom is very upset with the situation," Flowers said. "He's bigger than her. She has no way to control him."
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