Hall County authorities said Wednesday they believe a Gainesville man stalked a teen jogger he is charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting.
Brandon Nix, 27, is being held in the county jail without bond until his court hearing Nov. 17. He has a history of violent assaults but, until this week, he had not been charged in any sexual assaults, said Deputy Nicole Bailes.
A 17-year-old girl who said she was attacked Sunday picked Nix out of a photo lineup as the man who forced her into a vehicle and took her to his home where she was assaulted, Bailes said.
“This is very random for us, but we feel from our investigation that this woman was targeted by Mr. Nix,” Bailes said. “She is a track student and she jogs this area and he was watching her.”
Nix, who was arrested Sunday, denied the assault or having the girl at his house but he acknowledged seeing her training periodically, Bailes said.
The girl said she escaped when a neighbor knocked on Nix’s door, Bailes said. Nix warned her to stay put but the girl ran home when he was distracted and called authorities, Bailes said.
“She took a chance,” the deputy said.
Nix is charged with kidnapping, sexual battery, aggravated sodomy, false imprisonment, attempted rape and aggravated assault.
He is on probation for cutting a family member with a knife in 2010. He was released from prison on March 2012. His arrest on Sunday may result in a probation violation that returns him to prison to finish his 6-year sentence for aggravated assault, Bailes said.
He also has a conviction for theft and two for drug possession for having marijuana and methamphetamine.
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