Downtown Orlando Club Goers Catch Sex Assault Suspect
from WFTV9-Orlando Fl
ORLANDO, Fla. — A group of downtown Orlando club goers chased down a sexual assault suspect early Friday morning. Police said Luis Santin climbed into a bathroom stall to attack a woman in the club.
The suspect ran out the front door of the club and, according to managers, half of Club Element was following right after him and the suspect ended up in the hospital.
It is the aquarium that may have prevented a young woman from being sexually assaulted, according to the club manager.
"It probably saved her, it saved everything, pretty much," said club manager Mayur Shah.
The woman was in the handicapped stall in the bathroom when police said Santin crawled in there and attacked her. She was able to get out of the stall and in front of the sinks, which can be seen through a fish tank, a tank that sits right next to security guards.
One guard saw the pair struggling and rushed right in.
"We just thought a guy and a girl were fighting in the bathroom, something fighting in the hallway," Shah said.
Club policy says, in these cases, you separate the couple, so security sent Santin right out the front door. When the woman screamed out that she was nearly assaulted, managers said half the people inside the club chased after Aantin.
"From what I hear, they took care of business the old fashioned way. They made him regret what he did," Shah said.
Santin was transported to the hospital and was sent to jail early Friday morning.
Managers are happier than ever that they installed the aquarium.
"We may not have heard her scream, with the music playing, we may not have heard," Shah said.
According to police reports, the woman had some cuts to her lip, but escaped without serious physical injuries.