Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office.
LAKELAND, Fla. - A beaten, bloodied woman was rescued from an accused kidnapper who held her against her will and drove her through multiple counties on Friday morning, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Multi-county trooper rescue
What we know:
Shortly after 9 a.m., a BOLO, or be on the lookout, was issued for a white Chevrolet Silverado traveling westbound on I-4 that had a woman inside yelling that she had been kidnapped.
A trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol spotted the vehicle on State Road 570 in Polk County and pulled it over.
The trooper said he pointed his gun at the driver, identified as Jeremy Matthew Mason, ordered him out of the vehicle, where he was handcuffed and escorted to a patrol car.
According to FHP, the woman inside the vehicle said Mason was her boyfriend and he picked her up at her home earlier in the morning and was going to take her to his home in Daytona Beach, but the pair began arguing after she accused him of cheating and he started driving west on I-4 in Volusia County.
The victim reportedly told the deputy she did not want to be in the truck and that Mason held her against her will.
According to an arrest report, the victim said that Mason struck her in the face with a coffee cup and punched her in the bicep when they went through a drive-thru to get coffee and she asked the employees to call 911.
The victim reportedly told the trooper that the pair continued driving west on I-4 and stopped at a 7-Eleven gas station where she got out hoping for help, but Mason told her to "Get in the car now."
She added that Mason grabbed her by the arms and forced her into the truck.
The affidavit states that the victim tried to open the door as they were driving to get the attention of other motorists, but Mason reached over and shut the door.
She told the trooper that Mason said he wanted to kill her and backhanded her in the mouth four to five times.
Mason was arrested and charged with batter-domestic violence, kidnapping and aggravated assault.
Florida Highway Patrol investigation
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed the specific locations of the drive-thru or the 7-Eleven gas station where the alleged assaults occurred. It remains unclear how long the victim was held in the vehicle before motorists heard her screams and alerted authorities.
Medical updates regarding the victim's current condition have not been released by hospital or law enforcement officials.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Florida Highway Patrol, which explained how the suspect was apprehended and detailed the victim's allegations in an arrest report.