JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man suspected of sexually assaulting multiple women — several of them on consecutive days — is now in custody after an alleged attack inside an elevator at his apartment complex.
Brett Pincomb faces charges connected to the sexual assault of at least four women, but investigators believe there may be more victims. Police say Pincomb confessed to sexually battering five other women while armed with a knife or taser.
In every case, police say he met his alleged victims online through an undisclosed app.
Alleged attack in elevator
The most recent alleged incident began when a woman Pincomb contacted online arrived at the Point Meadows Apartment complex via rideshare. According to police, Pincomb followed the woman into the elevator without identifying himself, then pulled a knife from his pocket and demanded she remove her clothing.
The woman was able to distract him long enough to push the emergency call button inside the elevator, stopping it from moving. When an operator answered over the speaker, she screamed, startling Pincomb. When the elevator doors opened, she was able to escape. Pincomb was later taken into custody.
Neighbors react
Sandy Crosby, who says she has lived in the same apartment complex as Pincomb for the past five years, was among the witnesses who saw the alleged victim shortly after the incident.
“She was cut, she was injured. Yeah, her hand was cut. I don’t know who had the knife, but her hand was cut and they wrapped it up there, right by the stairs,” Crosby said.
Crosby says she hopes to never see Pincomb again.
“I came across all the police officers speaking to the victim because she had gauze wrapped around her hand, and she was saying she met this gentleman online and he attacked her when she went inside his apartment,” Crosby said.
Another resident, Hayden Crosby, says the case is a sobering reminder of the dangers of meeting strangers online.
“You have to be so careful now, because you never know who you’re meeting. Even if it’s not a catfish, you don’t really know anything truly about that person. People can hide who they are online,” Hayden Crosby said.
Pattern of alleged assaults
Police say three of the alleged assaults occurred on three consecutive days. The most recent incident preceded by an alleged attempted kidnapping and sexual assault inside Pincomb’s apartment unit the prior Thursday, and another incident the day before that, in which police say he held a victim against their will and sexually battered them.
In all of the cases, police say Pincomb met his alleged victims online.
It remains unclear whether Pincomb lived alone. According to one police report, an older man walked into Pincomb’s bedroom during one of the alleged sexual assaults. Investigators say there may be additional victims beyond those already identified.