Note: This story contains graphic details of an alleged sexual assault.
WETUMPKA – A Florida man charged in connection with a sexual assault and robbery at a Prattville mall Friday night was denied bail Monday after an investigator described the brutality of the alleged crimes.
Isaac Mathis, 29, of the West Palm Beach area, is charged with rape, robbery, attempted murder and arson in the case, court records show. Elmore County District Judge Ben Baxley ruled Monday afternoon in an Aniah’s Law hearing that Mathis will remain in custody without bail.
According to testimony, Mathis was released from a Florida prison on August 1 after serving 252 days on charges of illegal possession of a firearm as a felon.
The attack occurred at a store in the High Point Shopping Center. Prattville police received the call at 6:07 p.m. Evidence presented at Monday’s hearing showed that the victim worked at one of the mall’s stores and that Mathis allegedly forced her into the store’s back room after closing time and then raped and beat her.
The Montgomery Advertiser does not name the company or use its address because doing so could lead to the identification of the victim.
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Investigator describes attack
The victim attended the hearing, sitting in the front row of the public gallery, about 10 feet from Mathis, who was seated at the defense table. Mathis was wearing orange prison garb and was handcuffed.
The victim’s face was bruised and her right hand was bandaged. According to witnesses, she was taken to a hospital in Birmingham for treatment after the attack. She was left with a broken right hand and “extensive” bruising on her face and body.
The victim was accompanied in the courtroom by a group of about a dozen supporters.
Prattville Police Department investigator Zane Holt was the only witness called by the state. He testified that the victim told officers that Mathis came into the store just before closing time, looked around and asked prices for several items. When the victim went to the back of the store for one of the price inquiries, he allegedly shoved an object into her back and forced her into a back room, Holt testified.
Mathis allegedly told the victim that the object in her back was a gun. The victim told investigators that Mathis allegedly told her “…not to scream or yell or she would be shot,” Holt said.
She told investigators she was raped and that Mathis allegedly choked, punched, kicked, punched and hit her with a microwave multiple times, and she lost consciousness several times during the attack. Mathis also allegedly poured a caustic chemical over the victim’s face and scalp and squirted it into her mouth, Holt said in court.
When she regained consciousness, she went to a nearby store for help, and that’s where police were called. She was able to give officers a description of Mathis, including the clothes he was wearing, Holt said.
“They forced me to do it”
During the investigation, officers discovered that Mathis allegedly robbed the store after the attack, stealing the night’s money and attempting to set the store on fire, Holt said.
After the call, Prattville officers stormed the mall and searched stores for the suspect, Holt said. A drone was deployed and Mathis called 911 to turn himself in. When officers found him about 45 minutes after the initial call, he was wearing clothing matching the victim’s description and he had the store’s night safe with him, Holt said.
After his arrest, Mathis told officers he was in Florida, not Alabama. Holt said Mathis told officers several times, “they made me do it,” but he never specified who he meant.
There was video footage from the store’s camera system that showed Mathis in the store and the assault, robbery and arson, Holt said.
Brandon Stone, Mathis’s appointed attorney, questioned Holt and asked the officer if he had noticed any signs of “mental disorder” in Mathis.
“That’s not my area of expertise,” Holt replied.
Stone then asked if Holt knew if Mathis had a history of alcohol or drug abuse, to which the detective replied that he was not aware of any history of alcohol or drug abuse on Mathis’ part.
Previous convictions in Florida
Assistant District Attorney Mandy Johnson told the judge that Mathis has an “extensive criminal record” in Florida, including seven convictions as an adult for armed burglary, armed auto theft, robbery and grand theft auto. He also has a history of probation violations, she said.
In November 2023, he was charged with assault and illegal possession of a firearm. The assault charge was dropped, and Mathis served 252 days for the firearm possession charge, Johnson said.
Investigators were unable to establish a connection between Mathis and Prattville, Holt testified. The victim did not know him, and investigators were unable to locate any of Mathis’ relatives in the area, nor were they able to determine where he worked locally.
There was an increased police presence in the courtroom, including Prattville Police Chief Mark Thompson, PPD senior staff, and several PPD investigators. Mayor Bill Gillespie also attended the hearing.
Mathis is being held in the Elmore County Jail because the crimes occurred in the Elmore County portion of Prattville. During the hearing in Wetumpka, several correctional officers from the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office were in the courtroom. Four correctional officers escorted Mathis inside and stood by him during the hearing.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, help is available 24 hours a day through the national RAINN hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at [email protected].
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