Florida man arrested for allegedly raping woman in her 70s on her daily walk

On Thursday, Ron Smith, 42 years old, was arrested and charged in connection with the sexual assault of a woman in her 70s while on her daily walk.

Smith is now facing charges of two counts of sexual battery with a deadly weapon, another count of robbery with a deadly weapon, and armed false imprisonment.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, "the woman is in her 70s, said Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister, and was out on a morning walk — something she'd done daily for 40 years." The broad daylight attack occurred at 9 am on Nov. 27. The sheriff's office said the area is not heavily traveled by vehicles.

Chronister said that Smith approached the elderly woman asking if she had money or cigarettes, and she said she had neither. Both continued on their way, but then Smith allegedly looped back, told her he had a knife, covered her mouth and nose, and sexually assaulted her. The attack in the north Tampa neighborhood allegedly went on for 15 minutes, after which the victim immediately called 911.

Smith is believed to be homeless, and was tracked down and apprehended on the streets of Tampa several days later by local police.

He is also a suspect in another Tampa-area robbery, where a woman had her purse and cellphone taken in a local park. Smith also has a criminal record in three other states: New York, Texas, and Pennsylvania, according to deputies.

Arrest records from the Tampa Police Department show that Smith was arrested days after the alleged assault on Dec. 2 in the robbery case. According to HCSO jail records, he was released on a $7,500 bond three days later on Dec. 5.

Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay had offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to Smith's arrest, FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported.