FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A South Florida man is facing charges for a severe beating and possible sexual assault that occurred in April 2024, authorities said.
Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested James Arthur White, 43, of Fort Lauderdale, on Tuesday.
Authorities said the crime happened on April 27, 2024 at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport’s airplane viewing area along the 1800 block of Southwest 39th Street.
According to BSO, a bus driver alerted authorities after a nude woman came from the viewing area looking for help.
The woman told deputies she “was punched in the face and was sexually battered after she left a nearby pub with an unknown Hispanic male.”
According to an arrest report, the victim said she met with her boyfriend at Bimini Bay Bar, but the two got into an argument and after he left, she walked down Andrews Avenue to Freddie’s Anchor Sports Grill.
While there, the victim told deputies she started talking an unknown man, who she said offered to give her a ride home due to her boyfriend leaving with their vehicle, but he instead took her to his home and attempted to have sex with her, according to an arrest form.
Deputies said the victim said no, telling the man she was a “good girl,” so they left, but instead of taking her home, they went to the airport’s viewing area to watch airplanes.
While there, the victim told deputies the man suddenly punched her in the face, causing her to lose consciousness. Deputies said when she woke up, she was naked and the man was on top of her, so she grabbed him by the throat and pushed him off while crying for help, running away and flagging down the bus driver.
The victim described the suspect as a “chunky Hispanic male, 5-foot-7 feet tall, tan skin with a goatee in his late 40s,” but was unsure if she would recognize him if she saw him again.
Further medical evaluations on the victim revealed she suffered a neck fracture and brain bleed, and she was quickly admitted to the intensive care unit for further treatment.
Deputies arrested White on a felony battery charge, but the arrest report did not provide information on how they tracked him down.
It also did not provide an update on the victim’s health status.
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