Kidnap victim escapes her violent captor after more than two months of abuse and captivity
(Walter Medina mugshot, Image credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
This week, after more than two months of being held captive, a woman escaped the man who had kidnapped, beat, and regularly abused her beginning back in January. Her kidnapper, 48-year-old Walter Medina of Tampa, was taken into custody following a high speed, cross-county police chase as he recklessly drove his van at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, crashing into another vehicle along the way – and only stopped after hitting a concrete road median.
Background: On Monday, April 1, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Deputies were dispatched to a Mobil gas station in Seffner after a caller reported an injured woman had just escaped from a van and needed help. That woman had been kidnapped by Medina but escaped when he left her unattended in his van while he went into a nearby Walgreens store.
Prior to having been taken captive by Medina, the woman had been panhandling in the area of Hillsborough Avenue and Habana Avenue since January 2024. That’s where she met Medina. Initially, he gained her trust by providing her with food and narcotics.
Medina’s actions soon turned dark and violent, eventually taking the woman captive against her will and subjecting her to months of relentless physical abuse.
Medina repeatedly assaulted the victim using a wooden baseball bat and a flathead screwdriver, inflicting severe injuries including, but not limited to, broken ribs, deep puncture wounds, and extensive bruising. Over the course of approximately 2.5 months, the victim endured unimaginable suffering at the hands of Medina as he forcibly transported her around the Tampa Bay area and threatened to kill her if she fled or sought help. ~ HCSO
The woman’s opportunity for freedom arose when Medina briefly left her unattended in his van at a Walgreens store. That’s went she ran to a nearby Mobil gas station seeking refuge and assistance. When deputies arrived on the scene, they could see she sustained numerous injuries to her face and body and transported her to a local hospital for medical treatment.
HCSO detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Medina for the following charges: Attempted 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Kidnapping, Armed False Imprisonment, Aggravated Battery with Great Bodily Harm, Tampering with a Witness, and Tampering with Physical Evidence.
Medina was finally arrested following a high-speed pursuit with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Lakeland Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol on April 2. After he crashed his van into that concrete median, Medina still wouldn’t go quietly and law enforcement employed the assistance of a K9 unit who finally got him to surrender.
(Medina arrested following high-speed police chase across Polk and Osceola Counties on Tuesday. Image credist: HCSO)
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“This suspect’s reign of violent terror is now over,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “I am endlessly grateful for our law enforcement partners who put their lives on the line in service and protection of our community while apprehending this suspect. This joint effort exemplifies the strength of our community’s law enforcement network and our shared commitment to keeping our streets safe.”
And this wasn’t the kidnapper’s first run in with law enforcement. Medina has served time in prison for a previous False Imprisonment case and has an arrest history including Kidnapping, Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, and Robbery.
“I can’t imagine the torture this victim endured for months, but I can imagine the relief she felt when our deputies arrived,” Chronister added. “I have to commend the bravery of the victim for escaping her captor and seeking help. Our thoughts are with her as she recovers from this traumatic ordeal.”
For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.
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(Source: HCSO)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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