Ponte Vedra man charged in home invasion, rape at Southside community

Jacksonville police worked with Baker County deputies to ID suspect

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police worked with Baker County deputies to make an arrest in Monday morning's home invasion and sexual assault at the Countryside Village Mobile Home Park on Beach Boulevard.

Travis Jakubowski, 28, of Ponte Vedra Beach, showed no emotion as he faced a judge Thursday afternoon on charges of armed sexual battery, armed home invasion and false imprisonment.

He was arrested Wednesday night at a San Marco home after a Baker County resident reported that Jakubowski was in an altercation with a woman at a gas station last Friday and he pulled out a machete, pulled out a sledgehammer and told a man she was with he also had a gun. He ended up leaving without any additional confrontation.

Surveillance video from the gas station incident showed a person who matched the description of the rapist and a Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck with Texas plates that matched the vehicle seen on video near Monday's sexual assault. 

Police said a resident also reported seeing a man matching Jakubowski's description in the mobile home park at the time of the attack, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Lt. Sharon Scott said.

Police said Jakubowski forced his way into the mobile home about 11:15 a.m. Monday and raped a woman. The attacker also stole the woman's cellphone before leaving.

The woman, who police said resisted the attack, had a hand injury that required stitches, police said.

Jakubowski has three previous arrests in Duval County, but none for violent offenses.

His longtime mentor, who wished to remain anonymous, told News4Jax that he was saddened and disappointed by the Jakubowski's latest arrest, saying he had done so much to try to keep him on track.

"It's just very, very sad," the mentor said. "He just has so much negativity in him that he was raised with so much anger."

The mentor said he met Jakubowski when he was 11 years old through football. He said he became Jakubowski's father figure, even seeing him through high school and college. 

"The other coaches would ask me, 'Why do you waste your time? Why do you go and ask him to come back out here?' And I said, 'Because he's a human being and he's worth it,'" the mentor said. 

Now, his mentor hopes he's able to turn his life around. 

"I hope wherever he ends up, I hope that he will find God in his life," he said. "I hope he can find peace and I hope he can find structure and I hope he can find a good direction in life and he can make something of himself after he takes care of  what he's been accused of."

Jakubowski is being held without bond at the Duval County Jail. 

The Sheriff's Office thanked citizens for paying close attention and noticing the sketch of the suspect released Wednesday, and looking out for the suspect. Officers also thanked the victim for her resilience.