Pregnant woman assaulted in St. Petersburg park

ST. PETERSBURG -- A pregnant woman was sexually assaulted in Dell Holmes Park near Lake Maggiore on Wednesday evening.

Police said the 18-year-old woman was sleeping on a park bench when a man came up to her and said: "This isn't going to hurt." The man then hit her on the head and sexually battered her, police said.

Jack Crooks, a city custodian married to a Times reporter, came across the woman around 6:30 p.m. He said she was visibly pregnant, and came up to him and said "help me" before collapsing.

Police are searching for a white or Hispanic man in his 30s with shoulder-length wavy brown hair. Anyone with information can call (727) 893-7780.

- Abhi Raghunathan, Times staff writer