Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Daryl James Fowler, 33, is facing three counts of sexual battery after police say he allegedly raped a 14-year-old runaway he encountered at a bus stop.
The girl told a Gainesville Police Department detective that Fowler approached her near the Rosa Parks Transfer Station at 700 SE 3rd Street. She said she told him she was 14 and homeless, and that he offered to bring her to his tent, an invitation she accepted.
According to the victim, the two walked along a street lined with car dealerships before turning into a residential area, where Fowler guided her to a campsite. She later gave investigators a detailed description of the location and directions to reach it.
The detective reported that officers found the campsite in the woods near Pine Forest, in the 4200 block of NE 2nd Way, matching the victim’s description. Investigators also found a bicycle at the site bearing Fowler’s name.
The victim told the detective that once they arrived, Fowler said someone had recently been murdered in the woods and warned that no one would hear her if she screamed. She said she felt uneasy and tried to leave, but Fowler grabbed her by the hair, told her she was not going anywhere, and then raped her three times.
She said she was able to leave the campsite after Fowler went to work. Before leaving, she said, Fowler told her he worked at the Taco Bell near Arby’s; she also provided investigators with his first name and age.
Officers then went to the Taco Bell at 1515 SW 13th Street and asked the manager whether anyone named Daryl worked there. The manager reportedly showed them a photo of Fowler, and the victim later identified him in a photo lineup.
Fowler, whose address is listed as GRACE Marketplace, has been charged with false imprisonment and three counts of sexual battery of a victim under the age of 18. His full criminal history is unavailable, but court documents state that his history includes grand theft, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and possession of cocaine. Judge Jonathan Ramsey ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
