Man with charged with sexual assault/kidnapping

A 55-year-old Marathon man was arrested Monday afternoon for sexually assaulting a homeless woman last year.

Julio Roberto Melendez Chavez was charged with sexual assault and kidnapping/false imprisonment on Monday in addition to unrelated stalking charges he was arrested on last year. He has been in jail since November.

The instant case began on July 24, 2018 when the Sheriff’s Office responded to Lower Keys Medical Center regarding a sexual assault. Deputy Freddy Rodriguez was met by a Key West Police officer who stated he found an intoxicated woman on Duval and Greene streets who said she had been raped in Marathon the day prior. Paramedics then took the 53-year-old woman to the hospital.

The victim stated she was at the 55th Street bus stop at 12:30 p.m. on July 23, 2018 in Marathon when an Hispanic man unknown to her — later identified as Melendez Chavez — drove up in a gray Chevrolet pickup truck and asked her if she wanted to go to his residence and lay down for a while. The woman stated the suspect sexually assaulted her once there. The woman stated she told him to stop multiple times, but he would not stop. She added the suspect would not let her leave the residence nor use her phone. The victim stated he followed her around and wouldn’t even let her use the bathroom in his absence. The victim estimated she was held there against her will for about 14 hours.

The victim stated sometime thereafter she was able to leave the residence, whereupon she walked to a bus stop and fell asleep until a bus en route to Key West arrived. She stated she then drank at some of the bars downtown before being picked up by paramedics and taken the hospital.

Detective Rosemary Ponce was assigned to investigate. Detective Ponce interviewed the woman and she gave the same recollection of events, but added that the suspect’s residence was a trailer and that she fell asleep on the coach and awoke to find the suspect on top of her. She described multiple sexual acts he performed on her or tried to get her to perform on him. She stated the suspect assaulted her at least seven or eight times. She reiterated the suspect never left her and refused to let her leave or use her phone. She was able to provide the suspect’s cell phone number and provide a detailed physical description.

A records search showed the phone number given by the victim came back as belonging to Melendez Chavez.

DNA records were sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement lab for testing. Detective Ponce received lab results from the FDLE in October implicating Melendez Chavez in the assault.

Detective Ponce had difficulty reaching the victim, until Feb. 6 when the victim was found at Higgs Beach in Key West. The victim stated she had been in Lake City, Florida and Hollywood, Florida — the latter of which where her phone had been stolen. The victim stated she wished to press charges against Melendez Chavez.

Warrants were obtained for Melendez Chavez on March 4.

Melendez Chavez remains at the Monroe County Detention Center in Key West.

His total bail is currently $410,000.

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