Hardeeville man faces felony charge after attempted sexual assault on runner, police say
A Hardeeville man faces felony assault charges after police say his DNA was found on the clothing of a Bluffton jogger attacked in 2020, according to the Bluffton Police Department.
Johnathan Mendoza-Mayoral, 20, was charged Friday with first-degree assault and battery, jail records show.
In October 2020, a woman was jogging near Mill Creek at Cypress Ridge, a Bluffton neighborhood, when she told police that she had been attacked by a man who tried to sexually assault her, said Sgt. Bonifacio Perez with the Bluffton Police Department. The woman was able to fight off her attacker and call for help. Police were able to get DNA evidence from the woman’s clothing that was then linked to Mendoza-Mayoral, Perez said.
Officers from the Hardeeville Police Department arrested Mendoza-Mayoral in a separate incident and he was charged by the Bluffton Police Department Friday, jail records show.
No further charges are expected at this time, Perez said.
As of Sunday morning, no attorney information for Mendoza-Mayoral was available and he was still in custody at the detention center in Beaufort, court records show.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual abuse, help can be found by calling Hopeful Horizons’ 24-hour Support Line at 843-770-1070.
