After more than a decade, a Hernando County man was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison in connection with the sexual battery of a woman in 2011.
According to Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Deputy Public Information Officer (PIO) Michael Terry, around 5 p.m. on July 11, 2011, deputies found a young woman walking along a north Brooksville roadway. The woman, who was barely clothed, told detectives that she had accepted a ride home from a party from a man who hit her in the head with a blunt object and then pummeled her in the head with his fist.
She also told detectives that after pulling off to the side of the road, the man dragged her from the vehicle into the treeline, where he sexually battered her. As a result of her severe head injuries, the woman was airlifted from the scene to a trauma center for treatment.
In 2020, DNA obtained from physical evidence that had been collected during an examination of the victim, identified 45-year-old Andy Raul Carrillo as the primary suspect in the case.
The ensuing investigation revealed that Carrillo was also identified as the suspect in another violent sexual battery case that occurred in Tampa in 2011. The Tampa attack actually took place less than 30 days after the attack in Hernando County.
On March 8, 2024, the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office announced that Carrillo had been found guilty and sentenced to life in prison in connection with the 2011 case.
In announcing the outcome of the case, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson credited the verdict with testimony from the victims, detectives, medical professionals, and other witnesses.
“Our office commends the courage and resilience of the survivors who bravely testified to ensure that Carrillo was held accountable for his crimes,” he said.
Gladson also said that the conviction and sentencing send a message to wrongdoers. “This conviction sends a clear message that perpetrators of such despicable acts will face the full force of the law, regardless of how much time has passed,” he said.
