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Police Arrest Man In Attack

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By KEITH MORELLI

kmorelli@tampatrib.com

Published: February 14, 2009

TAMPA - A man accused of molesting a blind, deaf and mute woman and abducting her from a bus stop on Friday was arrested because the woman kept her cool, authorities said.

Police credited the 40-year-old woman with using her limited sight to get a description and scribble a note to a clerk in a service station, who called police.

Luis Mendez, 49, 108 Knorwood St., has been charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a disabled person and false imprisonment. He remained in the Orient Road Jail on Friday afternoon.

The woman, whose name was not released because of the nature of the offenses, was on her way to work Friday morning and waiting for a bus at Cypress Street and Dale Mabry Highway when she was approached by the man, police said.

"She goes along with him, thinking this is a co-worker giving her a ride to work," said police spokeswoman Laura McElroy. "Then, the sun hits his face, she gets close enough to see this is not her co-worker and she begins to panic and fight him. But he forces her into his vehicle and locks the door."

Although the woman is legally blind and uses a cane, McElroy said, she has some vision.

She screamed as the man began to molest her, McElroy said. When the driver pulled into a service station across the street and stopped the car, she jumped out and ran into the store.

There, she scribbled a note saying someone had tried to abduct and rape her.

The clerk called police.

"She had a note, wrote down on paper," said clerk Tandeer Miah. "When I see the word abducted was on it, I immediately dialed 911.

"She was shaking," he said. "She couldn't talk or nothing. I gave her a chair."
McElroy said the woman kept her wits and that led to the arrest.

"She is very quick-witted, a very smart lady who was able to write everything down on a notepad, giving a description of the suspect, giving a detailed account of what happened to her and was able to stay very calm," McElroy said.

Police arrived and detained the man. Inside the vehicle they found two knives and a large black club wrapped in duct tape, McElroy said.

WFLA News Channel 8 reporter Jeff Patterson contributed to this report. Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760.

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