Gainesville Police is asking residents to call with information after reports circulated on social media of a woman luring others to be sexually assaulted.
At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Kristen Oliff, who declined to comment for this article, wrote on Facebook about a woman who approached people claiming to be a single mom who needed a ride back to her house. The woman, Oliff continued, then leads good samaritans to a house where multiple men allegedly rape them.
Although GPD has not received any credible reports about the alleged incidents, many commented on Oliff’s post saying they have seen the woman before. Oliff described the suspect as a slim African-American woman with a chipped front tooth.
GPD spokesman Officer Ben Tobias said police know who the woman is, and she has a history of panhandling, but the department has not received any credible reports to corroborate Oliff’s post.
“The problem is people are posting it on social media instead of calling us,” Tobias said.
Josh Brown, a UF mechanical engineering alumnus, said he gave the woman a ride two years ago after he and his roommate met her at the Publix located at 1302 N. Main St. The woman told him she needed a ride to the hospital to see her daughter, who she said had sickle cell anemia.
“I think at the end I just brushed it off,” the 22-year-old said.
Last week, his roommate sent him Oliff’s Facebook status, hoping to verify it was the same woman they encountered.
“(It’s) kind of surprising that no one drew (this) connection until this time,” Brown said.
Anyone with information can call GPD’s non-emergency line at 352-955-1818.
