Florida man accused of burglary, sexual battery on sleeping woman, police say

Police arrested a Florida man Monday after he allegedly broke into a sleeping woman’s home and committed sexual battery.

Officers responded to an apartment in an undisclosed West Palm Beach neighborhood about 5 a.m.  Feb. 19 when a woman called and said she woke up to a man kneeling at the foot of her bed and touching her genital area, according to the arrest report.

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She told officers that she asked the man — who was later identified as 27-year-old Lamarsh Shelly — what he was doing in her house, and he said “your door was open,” the police report states.

According to the arrest report, Shelly then asked her if she wanted to have sex and asked her for a cigarette. She gave him a cigarette, and she demanded he leave the apartment. She told officers that she knew him from the neighborhood, and he went by the nickname “Honeycomb.”

The woman said Shelly was wearing a black shirt with tan pants, the Palm Beach Post reported. Officers then spoke to another witness who said that she saw Shelly outside of the apartment walking north while smoking a cigarette.

Officers located Shelly at 8th Street and Herietta Avenue, where he told officers, “I don’t burglarize and I don’t want sex,” the report states.

Shelly later admitted to officers that he walked into the apartment, opened the front door and saw the victim sleeping in her bed, the Palm Beach Post reported. He said that he made noises to wake her up to tell her that her front door was open, but did not mention touching her.

Police said children were sleeping in the apartment when the incident occurred.

Officers arrested Shelly on charges of sexual battery and burglary. He remains at the Palm Beach County jail on no bond, according to jail records.

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