A New York City man allegedly followed a woman from a Starbucks in Miami Beach and committed a vicious sex crime against her in a nearby apartment, cops say.
Police in Florida allege 31-year-old Herbert Swinton saw the victim at a Starbucks at Washington Avenue and 12th Street Sunday morning, then followed her to the apartment not far away.
The 21-year-old victim went inside and started to undress, at which point Swinton allegedly entered the apartment through an unlocked door, according to the police report. He allegedly grabbed the victim and threw her to the floor, then ripped off her underwear, the report said. Police say Swinton allegedly tried to rape the woman, but her roommate came out of a bedroom and he ran off.
The victim told NBC 6 exclusively she decided to change her clothes, took off her shirt "and then in that second the guy just ...he didn't knock. He just grab me right there and then he dropped me on the floor and he tried to rape me."
"I was scared because of his eyes, it was really crazy," she added.
The woman suffered no serious physical injuries.
Police obtained surveillance footage that showed Swinton following the victim. Cops say Swinton told officers that the sex was consensual, but officers say the accounts from both the witness and victim contradict that.
During their investigation, police discovered that Swinton is a registered sexual predator. Details on his arrest record weren't immediately clear.
He faces charges of sexual battery, burglary, false imprisonment and other crimes. It wasn't clear if he had retained an attorney who could comment on the allegations.
