Woman beaten, sexually battered in Golden Gate home

GOLDEN GATE, Fla. A woman was beaten and sexually battered early Sunday morning inside her home near Golden Gate Parkway, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office said.

It happened around 4 a.m. while she was asleep inside a house north of Golden Gate Parkway and east of Santa Barbara Boulevard, deputies said.

This is the third sexual battery within the last year in the Golden Gate area reported to authorities. The first happened in August 2016, and the second on June 18. The suspect connected to the first two incidents remains at large.

Investigators urge area residents to lock their doors, report suspicious behavior and stay vigilant, according to deputies. The investigation is ongoing.

The sheriff’s office provided additional safety tips:

• Replace locks or doors if they are unable to be secured
• If you have a home alarm keep it activated, even when you are home
• Keep your hedges and shrubs trimmed so they cannot be used as hiding places for intruders
• Light up your residence using sensor or motion lights

The sheriff’s office is providing area residents with free home security screenings to assess locks, lighting and landscaping. Those interested can call the CCSO Crime Prevention Bureau at 239-252-0700.

Anyone with information should call the sheriff’s office at 239-252-9300, or Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-8477 to make an anonymous tip.