LAKE CITY, Fla. – A 23-year-old woman was raped repeatedly at gunpoint during a home invasion robbery late Tuesday night.
The Lake City Police Department said the victim heard someone knock on the door of her home on W. Early Street near NW Sago Glen about 11:45 p.m.
Approaching the door, the knocking became louder. She opened the door to see who was there and an unknown man forcefully pushed the door open and pointed a gun to her head.
"When she opened the door, a single subject with a handgun (pointed) the gun to her and kind of pushed her back into the home with about three or four other subjects," Lake City Officer Mike Lee said.
The men who entered behind the gunman began flipping over her furniture and opened her drawers demanding, "Where is it at?" and, "Where is the money?"
After the other men ransacked her home and stole several items, they took off. The gunman stayed behind and repeatedly raped the woman, according to police
The victim was treated for assault at a local hospital and was released. The attackers are still being sought.
"All of our officers are aware of what happened," Lee said. "We are increasing patrols around that neighborhood."
"No one deserves to be robbed and treated as inhumane as this young woman was," Police Chief Argatha Gilmore said. "Please help us stop this from happening to someone else."
Neighbors said there are a lot of children who live in the area and the violence of the home invasion incident has them terrified.
"It's very devastating and it's very scary to even think about that," said a neighbor who only gave her name as Terry, who just moved in six months ago and has a 1-year-old daughter. "That would be something that I couldn't deal with myself, if that happened to my family, you know?"
Anything with information about the attack is asked to call the Lake City police at 386-758-5477 or call the anonymous tip line at 386-719-2068.