ST. PETE BEACH, FL — A 50-year-old transient man was arrested Wednesday after attacking a female tourist in a St. Pete Beach parking lot, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
Deputies responded to 4811 Gulf Blvd. around 10:30 a.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a man and woman fighting in a parking lot, the sheriff's office said.
The 29-year-old woman, who was visiting the area, was approached by a man later identified as Michael Jackson near a beach access. He followed her in his vehicle as she crossed the street into a nearby parking lot.
Jackson then got out of his vehicle, pushed the woman to the ground and pulled down her pants in an attempt to sexually batter her, detectives said.
Several witnesses intervened and pulled him away from the woman before calling 911.
Jackson fled in his vehicle before deputies arrived. They found his vehicle a short time later and took him into custody without further incident, the sheriff's office said.
He was transported to the Pinellas County Jail. He faces charges of attempted sexual battery, false imprisonment, and fleeing and eluding.
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