A rash of rapes has marred the first week of spring break in Daytona Beach, Florida
By: Import User
Updated: March 19, 2010
A rash of rapes has marred the first week of spring break in Daytona Beach, Florida.
One of the rapes occurred Sunday at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach.
A 37-year-old woman was pulled into a restroom stall and attacked.
She was not a spring breaker but was attending an event aimed at the college crowd.
Police say women in the college crowd are being targeted.
The spring break party is typically fueled by alcohol and sometimes drugs.
Police said breakers sometimes meet a stranger and fall victim to predators.
"The fact that the young lady had too much to drink, maybe popped a Xanax in between, and now she was worse for wear," Daytona Beach police Chief Mike Chitwood said. "Here's my opportunity to pounce and she's not going to remember."
Only one person has been arrested in the rash of recent rapes, 26-year-old Donco Mitrov.
Mitrov allegedly had sex in a hotel corridor with an unconscious woman he had befriended.
In four other cases, the women don't remember details or the suspect claims the sex was consensual.
Some of the female breakers reporters spoke with are critical of other women.
"It's their fault too because they put themselves in the situation," said one student.
College men agree that it does happen, but they say that doesn't make it right.
"Some of the guys take advantage of them, so that's a door in," said a male student. "Its very low."
In all of 2009, Daytona Beach police investigated 41 sexual assaults against women.
Police said six rapes in just one week is more than disturbing.
