He was arrested in North Carolina, according to Pinellas sheriff’s deputies.

PINELLAS COUNTY – A St. Petersburg man is accused of breaking into a home and sexually battering a 57-year-old woman, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said.

Asa-Corey Owens, 27, of St. Petersburg, was charged with one count each of sexual battery and burglary with battery.

Deputies received a 911 call at about 4:21 a.m. Sept. 19 at a private residence in unincorporated St. Petersburg for a report of a burglary and a sexual battery. When deputies arrived they spoke with a 57-year-old woman who lived alone in the residence.

The woman was taken to a local hospital for serious, non-life threatening injuries.

The woman told detectives that she was alone in her apartment, sleeping on the couch in her living room when she was awakened to someone forcefully pushing her face down into a pillow. The person struck the woman in the head multiple times and then sexually battered her by force. At one point during the attack, the suspect choked her and told her he would slit her throat.

Afterwards, the suspect walked out the front door of the apartment and the woman called 911.

The woman told detectives she did not know the attacker and provided a limited description of the suspect.

Detectives said they believe the suspect may have entered the victim’s apartment through an unlocked front door.

During the investigation, evidence was collected, processed and submitted for analysis. Deputies said DNA evidence confirmed Owens was the suspect.

Detectives said they learned that Owens, who lives in St. Petersburg, traveled to the Carolinas shortly after the crime to work with a tree trimming company.

A Pinellas County arrest warrant was issued for Owens.

About 4:30 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 27), members of the U.S. Marshals Service found Owens and arrested him near Jacksonville, NC.

Owens will be extradited back to Pinellas County to face criminal charges.

Photo is from a previous arrest.

Pinellas Sheriff | Crime | Sexual Battery | Arrests | Tampabay News

#PinellasSheriff #Crime #SexualBattery #Arrests #TampabayNews