A Florida woman who was held captive as a torture slave for months bravely escaped from her deranged kidnapper, but was later handcuffed after a high-speed chase with Sunshine State troopers.
The unnamed woman escaped from the clutches of Walter Medina, 48, on Monday, enduring months of agony before fleeing his van and fleeing to a gas station in Seffner, authorities said.
The Hillsboro Sheriff’s Office said the woman met Medina while panhandling in Tampa in January and claimed that Medina had been wooing her with food and drugs.
But authorities said Medina’s behavior became horrifying, and the woman realized she was trapped as he beat and tortured her for more than two months.
“The victim forcibly took Mr. Medina to the Tampa Bay area, threatened to kill him if he tried to escape or seek help, and endured unimaginable suffering,” the sheriff’s office said.
Medina allegedly beat her with a baseball bat, breaking numerous ribs and stabbing her with a screwdriver.
On Monday, she was finally able to escape after Medina allegedly left her in his car while going to Walgreens. When her officers responded to a call about her, they noticed bruises on her face and body.
“While I cannot imagine the torture this victim endured for months, I can imagine the relief she felt when investigators arrived,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement.
“I must commend the victim’s courage in escaping her captors and seeking help. Our thoughts are with her as she recovers from this traumatic ordeal.”
The next day, the Florida Highway Patrol said they caught up with Medina on Interstate 4 in the same Chrysler minivan in which the woman fled. It is believed that the driver stepped on the pedal while on a busy road.
Police said Medina was pursued by patrol cars from multiple law enforcement agencies, swerving in both directions and at one point speeding over 100 mph on the left shoulder of the road.
“The driver failed to maintain a single lane of traffic and used the shoulder to weave between other vehicles while continuing to flee from law enforcement,” FHP said.
Officials said Medina ran a red light and ran a red light, crashing into a median and destroying his car.
Medina allegedly reached for something inside the car after refusing to show officers his hands, and police released a K-9 named Rico, who severely bit Medina.
Medina was charged with numerous charges, including armed kidnapping and terrorism, attempted second-degree murder, and armed false imprisonment.
He has previously spent time in prison for kidnapping and false imprisonment.
