Law enforcement officials are investigating an alleged violent crime spawning from an online encounter. Police believe that 37-year-old Fernando Soliz, a resident of Kissimmee, met a woman from Lakeland on a website. After the two met, police believe that Soliz traveled to the woman's home. He attacked her with a baseball bat after she insisted that he leave her house. The Lakeland woman was seriously injured in the incident. Police did not say if the man was suspected of committing a sex crime or what his motivations were, or even if he had brought the baseball bat to the woman's home.
After beating the woman, Soliz left. Police have been unable to locate him, but they believe that he is dangerous and likely armed; therefore, they have advised members of the community to contact a law enforcement agency if they see him, but not to approach him for their own safety. Soliz is believed to stand 5'10" and weigh 160 pounds. He has long, black hair, which he wears in braids. He wears sneakers or athletic shoes with red shoelaces and has a tattoo on the back of his neck, which investigators say reads 'Popeye'.
Tampa criminal defense attorney John Musca says it is not clear where the woman met Soliz or even if his visit to her house was invited. To be safe online, it is important not to give out too much identifying information. Some websites, however, promote eventual in-person meetings, such as online dating sites. The popular community website Craigslist has been heavily criticized for its perceived role in a spike in violence towards women who met men on the site. Several women have been murdered in high-profile cases in which they advertised a service or item for sale and the men who responded to the ads became violent. An example would be a person who advertises that she gives massages or is selling purebred puppies and invites a stranger to her home. It is not clear, however, which website Soliz used to meet the woman who was beaten, nor what the purpose of the encounter was or if she had even ever intended for him to come to her home.
