Key West The Newspaper

A Stock Island man is under arrest after he attacked a woman in her home, hitting her in the back of the head with a hammer.

Just before 1 a.m. Deputy Jenna Moeller responded to a trailer at Roy’s Trailer Park on Stock Island. She found the 38 year old victim, Jennifer Marie Taylor, bleeding from an injury on the back of her head. The victim told Deputy Moeller a man she identified as “Ralph Quintana” had knocked on her door a short time before. She said she’d been at home with a friend, Jose Morales, who answered the door. She said Quintana rushed in past Morales. 

Taylor told the deputy that Quintana grabbed a hammer from the top of her refrigerator and that her friend, Morales, then ran out of the residence. She said Quintana hit her in the back of the head with the hammer. She said he then began punching her repeatedly while yelling “I’m going to kill you.”

Taylor told Deputy Moeller that Quintana had dropped his phone on the floor during the attack. A cell phone was recovered at the scene.

Taylor said Quintana then left the residence. She also told Deputy Moeller he could usually be found in a little shack just inside the gate of Sea Lobster on 5^th Avenue.

Deputies Moeller and [Russel] Hull found Rafael Quintana Perez sleeping in the shack. Beside him, on a bench, was a hammer matching the description the victim gave. Blood was on Quintana’s shirt.

The hammer and shirt were taken as evidence. Deputy Moeller tried unsuccessfully to immediately locate Morales to obtain a witness statement.

The victim was treated and released from Lower Keys Hospital. She positively identified Quintana as the man who attacked her. Quintana Perez was arrested and charged with aggravated battery and he was taken to jail.

~~~~~

This report has been updated.

Note: Information in these crime reports is provided by area law enforcement agencies. Please remember that all suspects are innocent until proven guilty.