DELTONA, Florida — The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a 32-year-old Deltona woman was sexually assaulted by an intruder in her home early Friday morning.
The Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to an address on Chippendale Street after receiving a 911 call reporting the attack at 4:04 a.m.
The victim told deputies that she awoke to find an intruder inside her home who tied her up, held her at knifepoint for an extended period of time and sexually assaulted her.
The suspect also stole some of the victim’s property, including her cell phone, before fleeing the scene.
Afterward, the victim untied herself and drove about a mile away to a friend’s house seeking help. She sustained a laceration to her hand during the attack.
The suspect was wearing all dark clothes and a mask, and was approximately 5’10” tall, between 160 and 180 pounds, and spoke with a strong Hispanic accent.
The suspect in this case, 23-year-old Nathaniel Medina Gutierrez, has been placed under arrest and has allegedly confessed to the crimes. The knife used in the attack as well as some of the victim’s property, including the stolen cell phone, have been located in the man’s residence.
Gutierrez is currently on probation for a 2009 conviction for leaving the scene of a crash involving injuries.
Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (386) 860-7030 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, toll-free, at (888) 277-TIPS.
Callers to Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous and can qualify for a reward of up to $1,000.