A West Palm Beach man charged in a sexual assault and robbery that occurred Friday night at an Alabama shopping center was denied bail as investigators outlined the brutality of the alleged crime.
According to court records, Isaac Mathis, 29, is charged with rape, robbery, attempted murder and arson in the incident. The Elmore County District Court ruled that Mathis should be held without bail during a hearing on Monday, August 12. He was charged in connection with the sexual assault that occurred on Friday, August 9.
According to testimony, Mathis was released from a Florida prison on Aug. 1 after serving 252 days on a firearms conviction.
The attack happened at a store in a shopping center in Prattville, northwest of Montgomery. Prattville police were called at 6:07 p.m. According to evidence presented at trial, the victim worked at one of the stores in the center, and Mathis allegedly forced her into a back room of the store at closing time, where he raped and beat her.
Investigators describe the attack
The victim attended the hearing and sat in the front row of the gallery about 10 feet from Mathis, who was wearing an orange prison uniform and handcuffed.
The victim had bruising to his face and a bandage on his right hand. According to testimony, the victim was taken to a Birmingham hospital for treatment after the attack, suffering a fractured right hand and “extensive” bruising across his face and body.
The victim was in the courtroom with a group of about 12 supporters.
Investigator Zane Holt of the Prattville Police Department was the only witness called by the state. He testified that the victim told officers that Mathis came into the store around closing time, looked at some items and asked to check the prices. When the victim went to the back of the store to ask for a price check, Mathis shoved an item in her back and pushed her into the back room, Holt testified.
Mathis allegedly told the victim that the thing on his back was a gun, and the victim told investigators Mathis told him, “Don’t yell or scream or I’m going to shoot you,” Holt said.
She told investigators she was raped and that Mathis repeatedly choked, punched, kicked, beat her and hit her with a microwave, and that she lost consciousness multiple times during the attack. Mathis also allegedly poured a caustic chemical on the victim’s face, scalp and mouth, Holt said in court.
After regaining consciousness, she went to a nearby store for help, which is when police were called, and she was able to give officers a physical description of Mathis and the type of clothing he was wearing, Holt said.
During the investigation, officers learned that Mathis robbed the store after the attack, took the overnight deposit and fled, then allegedly attempted to set the store on fire, Holt said.
Assistant District Attorney Mandy Johnson told the judge that Mathis has an “extensive criminal history” in Florida, including seven felony convictions as an adult for armed robbery, armed carjacking, burglary and vehicle theft. He also has a history of probation violations, she said.
Mathis was indicted on charges of assault and being a felon in possession of a firearm in November 2023. The assault charge was dropped and Mathis served 252 days in jail on the firearm charge, Johnson said.
Investigators have not established any connection between Mathis and Prattville, Holt testified.
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Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.
