Man arrested for attempted murder, sexual battery

A man who lives on a boat in Key West Harbor is under arrest, charged with choking and raping a woman.

The 27 year old victim told Major Crimes Detective Rosa DiGiovanni that 46 year old Jeffrey Sundwall invited her to his boat Sunday night. Sundwall’s boat is a 34 foot cabin trawler named “Today” which is anchored in Key West Harbor near Christmas Tree Island. She said while she was on the boat, he came up behind her and put a “sexual restraint collar” around her neck and choked her with it until she was unconscious.

She said she woke from unconsciousness to find him raping her. She said he put a gag in her mouth so she could not make noise. She said he held her for hours and continued to torture her. At one point, she says she was begging for her life and he told her if she struggled she would die.

According to a witness in this case, Sundwall operates a water taxi service to and from Christmas Tree Island. The witness said he called Sundwall for a ride to the island Monday morning. When Sundwall arrived to pick him up, the victim was with him. She told the witness she’d been raped and asked to use his phone. She used the phone to call the Key West Police Department for help.

When Key West Police arrived on the scene, both the victim and Sundwall were there. Sundwall was in possession of crack cocaine, so he was arrested by Key West Police and booked for possession of the illegal drug.

The Sheriff’s Office has jurisdiction over criminal incidents which take place in the harbor so Major Crimes detectives responded. Their investigations led to a warrant for Sundwall’s arrest. Today, Sundwall, who was still in jail, was charged with attempted murder, false imprisonment and sexual assault with a weapon or with force. There is no bond allowed on the warrant.

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