A 35-year-old homeless man was arrested by Ocala police on an attempted murder charge after he allegedly stole a woman’s car keys, shoved her to the ground, and strangled her with both hands until she was unable to breathe.
On Thursday, June 22, an Ocala Police Department officer responded to the 400 block of NW 17th Avenue in reference to a reported assault incident. Upon arrival, the officer made contact with the female victim who was “visibly trembling and distraught,” according to the arrest report.
The victim advised that she had given an unknown man a ride in her vehicle. The man had been standing outside the Lookin Good Beauty Supply located at 1971 W Silver Springs Boulevard, and she told the officer that she allowed him to enter her vehicle when he asked for a ride home.
The victim advised that the man, later identified as Rudolph Valentino Robinson, directed her to the location in the 400 block of NW 17th Avenue since he claimed to reside there. When the vehicle came to a stop, the victim advised that Robinson grabbed her vehicle’s keys from the ignition and began walking from the vehicle towards the nearby woods, according to the OPD report.
In the report, the officer noted that the victim allegedly followed Robinson and began screaming for him to return her keys. According to the victim, Robinson turned around, shoved her to the ground, climbed on top of her, and began choking her with both hands around her neck. She told the officer that she was unable to breathe or call for help during the alleged attack.
The OPD report stated that a male witness observed the alleged attack, and the victim recalled that the witness “ran up and struck (Robinson)” with an object, which caused him to let go of her. The victim told the officer that Robinson and the witness “struggled for a brief time” before Robinson ran northbound across a nearby railroad track until he was out of view.
During the interview, the officer noted in the report that the victim made several statements about how Robinson was “going to kill her” if the witness had not intervened. She told the officer that Robinson spoke in a “really low tone that is hard to understand” during the altercation.
The OPD report stated that the victim had dirt and plant material on the back of her hair and clothing, which was consistent with her statement. Her shoes had also been “kicked off” during the alleged attack, and her shoes were later found discarded in the nearby woods.
The officer interviewed the male witness who stated that he heard screams and saw Robinson choking the victim on the ground. The witness advised that he grabbed a rubber mallet and told Robinson to let go of the victim. Robinson allegedly responded by reaching into his pocket, and the witness struck him in the head with the mallet, which caused bleeding and a “visible lump” on Robinson’s head, according to the OPD report.
The witness recalled a brief struggle with Robinson, and he advised that Robinson ran northbound towards the railroad track after being struck by a punch that was thrown by the witness. The officer noted in the report that the rubber mallet was found near the victim’s parked vehicle.
The victim and witness both described Robinson as a skinny black male with a short afro, “bushy” mustache, and beard. They both stated that Robinson was wearing a black t-shirt with no design, black gym shorts, black socks, and black shoes.
Later that afternoon, the officer was following up on leads in the 1900 block of SW 1st Street when Robinson was observed walking westbound along SW 1st Street. He matched the description provided by the victim and witness, and he had a large semi-circular gash on his head that was actively bleeding, according to the OPD report.
During a pat-down search of Robinson, a metal can was located that contained a lighter and a burnt metal pipe. The pipe had a residue on it that field-tested positive for the presence of MDPV. The victim’s car keys were not located.
Robinson was detained in handcuffs. After being read his Miranda rights, he claimed that he had been jumped by 12 to 15 individuals “for no reason.” The OPD report stated that he claimed that the attack had happened a few hours earlier.
During the post-Miranda interview, Robinson denied being at the beauty supply store, and he claimed that he had not traveled in any vehicles that day. The officer noted in the report that Robinson “spoke very low and was difficult to understand,” and he made several statements that “did not make sense” while ignoring several of the officer’s questions.
The victim positively identified Robinson in a photo lineup as the individual who had attacked her.
Robinson was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $21,000 bond. He is facing charges for attempted murder (felony) and possession of drug paraphernalia (misdemeanor).
A court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 25, according to jail records.