Man arrested in nude attack against tourist women

A 49-year-old Sugarloaf Key man was arrested Thursday afternoon for battery against two women he met on Duval Street.

McNeal was charged with two counts of battery and resisting arrest without violence.

Deputies Ty Torres, Brandon White and Kathleen Donovan were called to a home on the 16000 block of Driftwood Lane on Aug. 18 at 2:46 a.m. regarding an unknown problem. Deputy Torres arrived first and he was flagged down by two women. He identified both — one 27 and the other 29 — via their Georgia state driver’s licenses. They were very upset, but declined medical attention. One woman had bruises on her throat and upper chest area as well as on both arms. The other woman said she lower back and hip pain. Both said the suspect, later identified as McNeal, was solely responsible for their injuries.

They women stated they had been drinking at a bar on the 200 block of Duval Street in Key West previously that night/early morning whereupon they met McNeal and played some billiards and otherwise socialized with him. They decided to leave and McNeal offered to drive them to their hotel and the women accepted. McNeal asked if he could run by his house and check on his ill dog first and the women agreed.

All three then went to McNeal’s home on Driftwood Lane and began drinking shots of alcohol. At some point, McNeal left their company and reappeared fully nude. The women attempted to leave at that point, but McNeal blocked their egress. A physical altercation between one of the women and McNeal ensued. She told Deputy Torres that McNeal placed his hands on her throat and pushed her into a television in the living room, which broke. She stated that she and the other woman then made their escape via the porch area. McNeal pushed one of the women in the back as they were running down the porch stairs, causing the women to fall on the concrete slab below. The women continued their flight and were able to hide in the mangroves until Deputy Torres arrived.

The Deputies entered McNeal’s property. They noticed a vehicle on the property matched the description the women gave as the means of their conveyance from Key West to the residence. The Deputies knocked on the door for 10 minutes whilst announcing themselves as law enforcement with no response. Deputy Torres looked inside the residence and observed a broken TV in the living room as one of the women had previously described.

Deputy Donovan showed the women a photo lineup of possible suspects. They both identified McNeal as the attacker.

Deputy Torres went back to McNeal’s house at 6 p.m. Deputy Torres knocked on the door, again announcing himself as law enforcement and again to no avail. Deputy Torres noticed blankets had been placed at all points of entry to the residence, making the inside of the residence unviewable.

Warrants were issued for McNeal’s arrest.

McNeal was booked into jail Thursday afternoon.