In a harrowing turn of events, a woman managed to escape from her captor after enduring more than two months of abduction, imprisonment, and torture.
Walter Medina, 48, allegedly subjected the woman to horrific abuse since he abducted her in January, inflicting severe beatings with a baseball bat and stabbing her with a flathead screwdriver. By the time she made her daring escape on Monday, she bore bruises and deep puncture wounds covering her body, as reported by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
According to police, the victim suffered unimaginable torment at the hands of Medina, who forcibly transported her around the Tampa Bay area and threatened her life if she attempted to flee or seek help.
Her opportunity for escape arose when Medina briefly left her alone in a Walgreens store. Seizing the moment, she sprinted across a road, through a car park, and sought refuge in a Mobil petrol station located in Seffner, on the outskirts of Tampa, Florida. Surveillance footage captured her desperate flight, while Medina was seen searching for her in his gold Chrysler minivan.
Deputies swiftly responded to rescue the woman and obtained an arrest warrant for her tormentor. The following day, a multi-agency pursuit involving the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Lakeland Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol led to Medina’s arrest after a high-speed chase reaching speeds of 100mph. The pursuit culminated in Medina losing control of his vehicle and crashing into a raised median strip before being apprehended with the assistance of police dogs. He was subsequently hospitalized under guard.
According to reports, Medina initially encountered the woman while she was panhandling on the streets of Tampa in January. Initially, he appeared friendly, offering her food and drugs. However, his demeanor shifted, and he allegedly resorted to violence, ultimately kidnapping her under the threat of harm.
Ashraf Zakhar, a cashier at the petrol station where the woman sought refuge, recounted her distressing arrival, describing her swollen face, black eyes, and desperate pleas for help. He promptly alerted authorities, allowing them to intervene and assist the victim.
Medina now faces a litany of charges, including attempted second-degree murder, armed kidnapping, armed false imprisonment, aggravated battery with great bodily harm, tampering with a witness, and tampering with physical evidence. His criminal history includes previous convictions for false imprisonment, kidnapping, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and robbery.
Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister commended the victim’s courage for escaping her captor and seeking assistance, emphasizing the profound relief she must have felt upon the arrival of law enforcement. He expressed gratitude to the various law enforcement agencies involved in apprehending the suspect, underscoring their dedication to protecting the community.
Medina is currently incarcerated at the Orange County Jail, awaiting further legal proceedings.