JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — Jacksonville Beach police are searching for a man who attacked a 22-year-old woman in a parking lot along Beach Boulevard early Sunday morning after Halloween.
The victim was knocked out from behind and suffered a broken nose along with facial injuries during the assault.
The attack occurred in a lot across from Bubba Gump after the victim left Mango’s around closing time. The incident occurred as clocks fell back early Sunday morning for Halloween weekend, giving patrons an extra hour at local establishments.
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The victim reported that the last thing she remembered was leaving the establishment at closing time and walking toward her vehicle before being struck from behind. She was left bleeding on the pavement with her left eye swollen shut and facial cuts. Her mother has since shared photos of her daughter’s injuries on social media to help identify the attacker.
Two good Samaritans in a nearby McDonald’s parking lot heard the woman scream and remained by her side until law enforcement arrived. One witness described seeing a white man with curly hair wearing a green long-sleeve shirt hurrying out of the lot and heading south on 2nd Street.
Officers searched the surrounding blocks that morning but did not locate the suspect. Area workers noted that while nearby locations have security cameras, none are pointed directly at the parking lot where the assault occurred.
Employees at nearby businesses expressed ongoing safety concerns along the strip. A bar worker with six years of experience at Flask and Cannon said management decided not to stay open for the extra hour during the time change, recalling three separate shootings during St. Patrick’s Day in 2024 that previously led Jacksonville Beach police to ramp up security.
“We made a big point here that we weren’t going to be open that extra hour … we knew something was going to happen like this,” the Flask and Cannon bar worker said.
Another local bar employee described the shift in safety conditions between daytime and nighttime hours in the area. “Jax Beach is safe in the day, but during night it’s definitely a little iffy, but good police presence,” the employee said.
The worker noted that staff members take personal safety precautions when leaving late shifts. “My male co-workers always walk me out because you don’t know if it’s going to be a drunk college guy or it could be a homeless guy,” the employee said.
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