A man raped a woman near a business in the Duck Pond area early Sunday, Gainesville police said Tuesday.

About 2:18 a.m. Sunday, a woman told police she had been walking from downtown to her home, when a man approached her near East University Avenue and First Street and asked to borrow her lighter. She let him use it, then continued walking north, police said.

She noticed the man continued to follow her and began asking her name, which she ignored and kept walking, police said.

Near the 600 block of Northeast 2nd Street, the man grabbed her from behind and placed a gun to her head, police reported after an inquiry from the Sun.

He forced her next to the business as 605 NE 2nd St. and raped her, then ran away. No physical description of the man is available and police said they have increased patrols in the area.