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Investigators Interrupt Sexual Assault, Deputies Say

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 10, 2007

Updated: 10/10/2007 03:49 pm

DUNEDIN - A burglary suspect was under surveillance by Pinellas County sheriff's investigators today when he sexually assaulted a woman, authorities said.

Alan Anthony Martin, 27, of 1147 King Arthur Court, No. 203, Dunedin, was charged with sexual battery and two counts of burglary to an occupied dwelling. He was being held at the Pinellas County Jail on $90,000 bail.

Alan Anthony Martin

On successive nights - Monday and Tuesday - Martin broke into homes where women lived, sheriff's officials said. By this morning, he was under surveillance. Pinellas sheriff's officials would not say why detectives were focusing on Martin as a suspect.

At 1:30 a.m. Monday, he went into an apartment at 1146 King Arthur Court in Dunedin through an unlocked bedroom window, according to officials and jail affidavits. A woman in the room heard him and called out to him, and Martin hid in a closet, affidavits say. When the victim ran off, Martin did, too, the affidavits say.

At 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, Martin broke into a residence at 2779 Cypress Drive in Clearwater and found a woman asleep on a couch, a jail affidavit says. He removed his pants, and the victim awakened and screamed, the affidavit says. Martin took off, leaving his shoes and pants, the affidavit says.

In neither of the burglaries did investigators have enough evidence to charge him, but they decided to put him under surveillance, Pinellas sheriff's Sgt. Jim Bordner said.

At 3:30 this morning, while under surveillance, Martin approached a woman from behind at State Road 58 and U.S. 19 and then threw her to the ground, according to officials and affidavits.

Before detectives were able to reach him, he took off her pants, and then his pants, Bordner said. He was attempting to sodomize her when he was stopped, Bordner said.

"A detective immediately intervened," said Pinellas sheriff's spokeswoman Cecilia Barreda. "However, [Martin] was able to commit this act." Only after Martin was interviewed – and acknowledged the burglaries – were detectives able to charge him with the break-ins, along with the sexual battery, Bordner said.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.

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