Man who hid in closet and tried to rape woman at Brickell condo later found sleeping in another unit, Miami Police say
A man accused of trying to sexually assault a woman in her Brickell apartment over the weekend was later found sleeping on a stranger's couch in another apartment in the same building, according to Miami Police.
Jorge Ortega, 46, was charged with attempted sexual battery, kidnapping and burglary with assault.
Early Sunday morning, police said they were called to the apartment building on SW 13 Street near SW 2 Avenue over an attempted sexual assault.
CBS News Miami spoke exclusively with one of the women who discovered Ortega in her apartment the morning after the alleged attack.
The woman, who said she only wanted to be known as "B," said, "He was on the couch so we called the cops. We just decided to leave the apartment. We were confused. I was nervous and this felt unsafe. This was pretty scary."
She continued, "I felt a little bit confused. I think the police reassured us that we should feel ok and go about our regular lives. I hope this never happens again. I think it may be easy for people to get in if people open up the gate."
CBS News Miami reached out to Soma at Brickell Apartments but so far has not heard back.
Police: Victim fought back, suspect fled
Miami Police spokeswoman Officer Kiara Delva said, "We are very grateful the woman was able to fight off the man who attempted to sexually batter her and because of that she was not assaulted."
Police said it's not known how Ortega got into the gated building, but they believe he was looking for doors that were ajar.
Residents told CBS News Miami they were alarmed.
Resident Maria Monro said, "My God this was scary." Another resident, Hannah O'Neill, said, "It is scary for me and my roommate. It is just us, two girls up there." Jayden Shanoff said, "I feel bad about the woman and the people living here."
Suspect faces multiple charges, held without bond
In Bond Court, it was revealed that Ortega had some other drug charges against him. Circuit Court Judge Mindy Glazer ordered him to stay away from the alleged victims and found probable cause for the charges. Ortega was held without bond.
Woman said she discovered man hiding in her closet
Police said the 62-year-old woman who called about the alleged assault told them that on Saturday she was in and out of her apartment throughout the day running errands and buying groceries. She said around 6 p.m. that day she returned to the apartment, made herself a sandwich and started picking up the house, according to police. The woman said when she went into her son's room and opened the closet door, she found Ortega hiding there, according to the arrest report.
She said she screamed and tried to run away from him, but he grabbed her from behind, put his hand over her mouth and dragged her into her bedroom, according to police.
As the two struggled, she said he managed to take off her nightgown and underwear, according to the report. Both ended up on the floor and the woman told investigators that she remained face down in an effort to prevent him from raping her, according to police.
The woman said Ortega then demanded that she perform a sex act on him which she refused, the report said.
When he got up, the woman told investigators that she grabbed a pair of scissors from the nightstand and tried to scare him off. Instead, she said, it enraged him and he began to hit her in an effort to take the scissors, causing her minor cuts on her left shoulder, according to the report.
He then forced her to go sit on the couch as he got a glass of water, smoked a cigarette and reorganized his backpack, according to investigators.
The woman told police around midnight her phone rang and Ortega asked who would be calling. According to the woman, she told him it was her son and he was on his way home. She said when she tried to stand to get the phone, Ortega warned her "don't even think about it, or I will kill you," according to the report.
The woman told Ortega that if he was still there when her son got home, he would be really upset, according to police. She told investigators that made him visibly upset. Ortega took a plastic rose out of his bag, as he finished packing up and left it on the woman's coffee table before he left, according to the report.
The police were called, and Miami Fire Rescue treated the woman for her injuries.
Stranger found sleeping on couch next morning
The 24-year-old woman who lives in the apartment where Ortega was found told police that when she got home on Saturday night, she noticed the cat sleeping on an otherwise empty couch, according to the report.
She said when she got up the next morning around 9 a.m., she noticed a strange man sleeping on the couch, according to police. The woman told investigators that she also noticed that he had eaten some food, according to police.
The woman's roommate told police that when she got home late Saturday night, she saw the strange man asleep on the couch and assumed her roommate knew who it was, according to the report.
She said when her roommate woke up and said she didn't know the guy, they called the police and were told that officers were already outside the building on another call.
The women then went downstairs and told the officers about the situation. When officers went to their apartment, they found Ortega fast asleep on the couch and took him into custody, according to the report.
