The Bay County Sheriff’s Office placed additional charges yesterday on Edgar Eduardo Lopez-Jaramillo, a man arrested Tuesday by the Panama City Beach Police Department for Sexual Battery.
BCSO investigators believe that on March 17, 2014, Lopez-Jaramillo was driving a nearly unmarked silver van as a taxi on Panama City Beach. At about 1:30 AM, the suspect contacted his boss and told him that he was sick and going home. After doing this, Lopez-Jaramillo allegedly picked up another passenger, a woman, in the parking lot of a business on Thomas Drive.
Once inside the taxi, the victim told deputies that Lopez-Jaramillo drove in the wrong direction away from the hotel she told him to take her. According to the victim, the suspect told her he was aware of that but was trying to avoid traffic. When it became more obvious Lopez-Jaramillo was not going to take the victim to the correct hotel, the victim offered to pay him all the money she had to let her out of the taxi. The victim stated that Lopez-Jaramillo told her to trust him and began touching her on the leg and neck. The victim was able to jump out of the taxi when the suspect slowed down to cross a street, but Lopez-Jaramillo ran after her and was able to force her back into the van.
According to the victim, Lopez-Jaramillo was able to grab her shorts and underwear and remove them as he drove and grope her, stopping only when he thought he saw a law enforcement vehicle. The victim then fled the vehicle with shorts in hand, dropping her underwear, and was able to get away and call 911.
Investigators found the victim’s underwear in the road where the victim stated she managed get out of the van and flee. Found in the suspect’s car was hair consistent with the victim’s hair on the passenger door and on the passenger seat. Investigators also saw items within the taxi cab belonging to the suspect that the victim described which were consistent with her description.
Working with the Panama City Beach Police Department, BCSO investigators learned of their case involving Lopez-Jaramillo and a similar instance of sexual battery. Additional charges of Sexual Battery and Kidnapping were placed yesterday on Edgar Eduardo Lopez-Jaramillo, age 23, of 2859 Dalphin Circle West, West Palm Beach, by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.