Attempted sexual assault, armed robbery reported on Jacksonville's Westside

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is asking for in help tracking down a man accused of attempting to assault and rob a Jacksonville woman at gunpoint in her own yard.

The attack was reported Monday morning in the area of Herschel Street and Marquette Avenue on the Westside.

JSO officers went door to door Tuesday afternoon in the neighborhood, looking for witnesses.

“I think it’s terrible that you can’t go out of your house in the morning to go to work without being accosted by someone,” said Lee-Margaret Borland, who owns a gallery down the street.

The victim reported to JSO that she was leaving for work Monday morning when she noticed that someone had put her garbage can behind her car in the driveway.

When she went to move it, a man came up from behind, put a gun to her head and his hand over her mouth.

She told JSO that he forced her into her back yard, where he went through her purse, but didn’t take anything.

JSO said he made sexual advances and ran away.

“What she did was the right thing and thank God she survived,” said Borland.

Action News Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson said criminals count on people being creatures of habit.

“What you want to do is when you get out of your house, you want to scan the area as much as possible. Look around and see if there’s anybody hanging around that looks suspicious or a car that may be out of place,” said Jefferson.

JSO is asking anyone who has seen a silver Nissan Rogue with Florida tag EWGD71 to report it. The vehicle was reported stolen on Sept. 25 and police believe that it was in the area before the attack.

Cox Media Group