A Gainesville man allegedly forced his way through a closet wall and violently attacked a 15-year-old girl in her apartment, alarming neighbors and prompting a rapid police response that likely saved the teen’s life.<\/p>\n
Callers witnessed a man dragging a teenage girl by her hair and hitting her repeatedly while she was screaming during the struggle.<\/p>\n
As officers arrived on scene, they witnessed the active assault and intervened, immediately separating the primary aggressor and the victim.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Obed Reyes, a 29-year-old male out of Gainesville, Georgia, was arrested.<\/p>\n
Preliminary investigation determined that Reyes broke into the victim’s apartment by breaking through a closet wall from the neighboring apartment. Records indicate Reyes is also a resident of the same apartment complex, but the parties are not known to each other.<\/p>\n
The victim, a 15-year-old female, was home with her 5-year-old and 7-year-old family members when Reyes violently made entry into the residence after breaking a hole in the wall between the apartments. Reyes allegedly grabbed her by the hair and started to punch her multiple times.<\/p>\n
Police say the victim courageously fought for her life and escaped to the breezeway of the apartment, screaming for help as Reyes continued to assault her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During the assault, Reyes allegedly threatened to rape the victim.<\/p>\n
Reyes was charged with burglary, aggravated assault, attempted rape, kidnapping, and cruelty to children. He was transported to the Hall County Jail without further incident.<\/p>\n
“I commend the witnesses’ quick response of calling 911 to get our officers there in time to prevent further torment and trauma of the victim. ‘See something, say something’ goes a long way in our community, and we are grateful to have a community that looks out for each other. Our officers did an excellent job removing a violent criminal off the streets, and that was just the beginning.”<\/p>\n
Gainesville police say the victim has a long road to recovery following the incident.<\/p>\n
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