Response of Sanford police prevents sexual assault of store clerk

Oct. 12—The quick response of Sanford police officers to a disturbance at a Circle K store prevented a man from sexually assaulting a store clerk, according to Sanford police.

Jeffrey Lynn Miller Jr., 28, of the 400 block of Maple Avenue, Sanford, was taken into custody at the store located in the 800 block of Carthage Street, according to a Police Department news release.

Officers got the call at 4:39 a.m., the release said. The call came in via a 911 communication from the 21-year-old clerk, according to police Maj. Vinnie Frazer. No one spoke on the call, he said, but dispatchers heard the woman yelling and screaming.

The clerk is not being identified due to the nature of the assault.

Miller entered the store and immediately went behind the counter and began to assault the clerk.

"The suspect struck the victim in the face and head numerous times with his fist, knocking her to the ground," the news release said.

"Once the victim was on the ground, the suspect held her down an attempted to sexually assault her," the release said.

When officers arrived, they found Miller trying to drag the woman into the back office, the release said.

Miller was arrested without incident, the release said.

The prompt response of the officers kept the clerk from being raped, Frazer said. She was taken to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, he said. Her condition was not immediately known.

Miller is charged with first-degree kidnapping, attempted first-degree forcible rape, assault inflicting serious bodily injury and interfering with emergency communications.

Bail was set at $500,000.