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Sketch of hotel
assault suspect released; chief vows to make arrest
A sketch of
the man suspected of sexually assaulting and trying to kill a hotel clerk
in Peachtree City early Wednesday morning was released by police this
afternoon.
The sketch was created by an agent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation
with assistance from the victim at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, said Police
Chief James Murray. And officials of the company which owns the Hampton
Inn in Peachtree City have matched a $15,000 reward in the case to make
a grand total of $30,000 available to someone providing information that
leads to the arrest and conviction of the suspect.
“I guarantee you we will solve this crime and bring this gentleman
to justice,” Murray said Wednesday afternoon.
Murray confirmed that the suspect got away with some money, but he declined
to say how much. He also refused to say whether any of the incident was
caught on video.
The victim, a white female in her 50s, was set fire by the suspect using
accelerants found in the office of the Hampton Inn in the Westpark area,
police said. She originally let the suspect in and showed him to the bathroom
after he asked to use it, Murray said.
After that, the woman went back to the office where the suspect leapt
over the counter to reach the victim. The victim then felt someone come
up behind her and place a metal object against her, which she thought
was a weapon, Murray said.
Before setting her back on fire, the suspect placed several cans at the
clerk’s feet in an effort to make them explode, Murray said.
“It’s a very bizarre crime,” Murray said, noting the suspect
used spray cans found in the office for WD-40 and wasp spray to accelerate
the flames.
Murray said he was concerned the suspect would attempt to commit a similar
crime before he is caught. The victim was in stable condition at Grady
Memorial Hospital Wednesday, the chief said.
The suspect also appeared to set fire to certain parts of the office to
perhaps destroy anything he may have touched, Murray said. But the GBI’s
crime scene unit worked the scene extensively particularly because the
hotel’s fire suppression sprinkler system went off, making evidence
collection that much tougher, Murray said.
After the suspect left, the victim cried for help and one person at the
hotel came to her aid, lifting her over the counter because he couldn’t
get through the door to the office, the chief said.
The suspect, whose identity has not yet been identified by police, was
described as being 5’7”-5’8”, average build and having
dark brown spiky hair. He is believed to have left the scene in a dark
small car that had a loud muffler, perhaps of the aftermarket variety.
Murray wouldn’t speculate on whether or not the robbery-assault was
planned or what the motives of the suspect were.
“The suspect made two mistakes,” Murray said. “One was
committing this crime in Peachtree City, where we have an excellent record
for solving cases. And two he did it in Fayette County where we have a
good track record of prosecuting cases.”
An officer was on the scene within three minutes after the 911 call was
received around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. The incident occurred roughly
30 to 40 minutes before the call, and the suspect had bound the victim
to an air conditioning unit in the office before making his escape out
a side door, Murray said.
The suspect will face “numerous charges,” Murray said, adding
that police are following up on numerous leads.
The hotel has been closed and police interviewed over 60 people who were
staying there, some of whom provided key information, Murray said. But
people staying at the hotel were evacuated from the area and unable to
retrieve their items by lunch time Wednesday.
Hotel officials asked for the community to keep its thoughts and prayers
with its injured employee as she recovers in the hospital.
The hotel will likely reopen within the next two days, a hotel spokesman
said.
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