HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – A man accused of raping a 17-year-old girl last weekend has been taken into custody, police say.
On Friday he went before a judge and is being held without bond.
The girl was walking on South 24th Avenue at Jackson Street when the man forced her into his van, drove her to the 2700 block of Pierce Street, and sexually assaulted her behind a dumpster, according to police.
Police released a composite sketch on Tuesday of the alleged rape suspect.
Hollywood police detectives said they received anonymous tips from residents in the community about the identity and location of the man responsible for the sexual battery.
Police said this information led to the arrest of 24-year-old Freddie Lee Gardner Jr.
Gardner was taken into custody at 5 p.m. Thursday at 1524 North 22nd Avenue in Hollywood.
He was charged with two counts of sexual battery and kidnapping.