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Saturday, May 04, 2024

Revised sketch of man who assaulted Haile jogger released

Authorities released a revised sketch Sunday of the man who attacked a woman who was jogging in Haile Plantation last month.

Police hope the new version will help Alachua County residents better identify the man, said Lt. Stephen Maynard, spokesman for the Alachua County Sheriff's Office.

The 36-year-old victim, who was beaten with a gun and raped, remembered more about the face of her attacker and wanted to update the sketch to be more accurate, Maynard said.

"She's had a lot of time to think long and hard about what happened to her," he said. "It's fairly common that it takes some time for a person's memory to come back after a shocking event."

The victim and her family have been incredibly cooperative with police, Maynard said.

The new illustration is done in color by the same artist and shows a longer, thinner face with narrower eyes and lips.

Maynard said that because the updated sketch was only recently released, it is difficult to tell how the new sketch will impact the investigation.

Hundreds of residents from across the county have been phoning the sheriff's office every week since the incident, Maynard said.

Last week, the total number of tips exceeded 350, and most of the calls were about suspicious people or suspicious vehicles, he said.

Though the majority of phone calls have not led to any new information, he said all tips are helpful because they can help eliminate suspects.

"People have been vigilant and aggressive in trying to offer help," he said.

Police continue to patrol the county, focusing on areas with early morning joggers.

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Freddie Wehbe, the owner of all six local Domino's Pizza restaurants, has arranged for a sketch of the attacker to be attached to every delivered pizza box.

In the next 30 days, the restaurants expect to distribute 40,000 fliers, Maynard said.

"No pun intended," Maynard said, "but we're all just trying to think outside the box and find this guy."

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