IMMOKALEE, Fla. — A man was arrested in Immokalee on Saturday after allegedly breaking into a home and attempting to sexually molest a female. Benedicto Antonio Cerecedo, 38, is charged with attempted sex battery of a victim over 12 years of age, burglary with assault or battery, and cruelty towards a child.
According to the redacted arrest report, Collier County deputies believe that the suspect forced his way through the locked front door of the home some time around 1:00 a.m. The victim told deputies that she was sleeping on the couch in the living room when the suspect got on top of her and put his hand over her mouth and around her throat, telling her that he would kill her if she screamed.
The victim stated that she thought she was "going to die," and that the suspect made several attempts to pull her pants down. The victim said that she held onto her pants and did not let him remove them.
The report also said that a male occupant in the home entered the living room when he heard the victim screaming, and grabbed the suspect as he tried to flee the home. The male resident and another 17-year-old occupant reported that they held the subject to the ground until deputies could arrive, sustaining multiple contusions, scratches and bite marks. One bite mark almost severed the man's fingertip, according to the report.
A note on Cerecedo's arrest report states "hold for ICE," indicating that he may eventually be taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
