A man was arrested and charged with attempted sexual battery on Friday after allegedly assaulting a 66-year-old woman inside a massage parlor in Palmetto Bay, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect, identified as Uzair Ahmed Chowdhury, 42, was apprehended shortly after at a nearby Dunkin Donuts and later transported to jail on an unrelated warrant, officials said.
Alleged assault unfolds
The incident occurred shortly after 11 a.m. on April 4, at Best Asian Massage Therapy, located in the 17800 block of S. Dixie Highway.
The victim reported to authorities that Chowdhury arrived at the business, asked to use her restroom and she agreed, according to the sheriff’s office.
She said she led him to the restroom, where he allegedly grabbed her and tried to pull her shorts down. The victim told investigators she bit him “really hard” on his right shoulder, forcing him to let go, the arrest report says.
She then began yelling, screaming and banging on the wall, prompting a neighbor from an adjacent business to rush in after she cried, “Help me,” according to the report. The victim said Chowdhury released her and fled the scene.
Suspect’s conflicting statements
Authorities apprehended Chowdhury at a Dunkin Donuts nearby, roughly a block from the massage business, shortly before 11 p.m., the report states.
He was taken to the Palmetto Bay Police Station, where he was interviewed post-Miranda. Chowdhury offered several inconsistent statements, according to the sheriff’s office. He first claimed lipstick on his shirt came from “mixing pickles,” then recanted and admitted asking to use the victim’s restroom before leaving.
Later, he alleged the victim entered the restroom with him, a claim he also withdrew, the report says.
Chowdhury eventually told investigators that months ago, the victim had requested $50 for a massage he never received, according to the report.
He said he visited the business on Friday for the massage but didn’t have enough money, tried to leave and claimed the victim stopped him, leading to the neighbor’s intervention before he walked out, the sheriff’s office said.
Chowdhury was arrested on an unrelated outstanding bench warrant and is currently held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, officials said.
The investigation into the attempted sexual battery charge continues, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
