Orange County Sheriff: Brutal Rapist in Custody After Spotted by Resident

ORANGE COUNTY (FLV) – Bruce Whitehead, an Orange County resident accused of brutally raping and attempting to murder a woman on Saturday, was taken into custody after being spotted by a resident.

Orange County Sheriff’s Office said, “Brutal rapist Bruce Whitehead is in OCSO custody, thanks to a tip at 7 a.m. today from an observant resident! Whitehead raped and tried to murder a woman Dec. 10.”

According to the OCSO, on Saturday deputies responded to the call from the victim in the area of North Pine Hills Road and North Lane. The victim said she met Whitehead at a business near the Florida mall and willingly agreed to go with the suspect and they traveled to different locations. At one of the stops they made, Whitehead reportedly threatened the victim with a weapon and raped her, then attempting to murder the victim. She was able to fight him off and escaped to a nearby subdivision where bystanders were assisted her and contacted law enforcement.

Through the collaborative efforts of deputies, detectives and the victim, they were able to identify Whitehead’s vehicle but were unable to find the suspect until Thursday morning after the OCSO asked community members for assistance.

OSCO shared images of the wanted suspect and asked the public for help locating him.

Whitehead faces armed kidnapping, armed sexual battery and attempted murder charges.

Whitehead was charged with similar offenses in the 1980’s for rape and attempted murder and served 20 years of a 40 year sentence in North Florida.