A woman kidnapped, held prisoner and tortured for more than two months until she made a daring dash to safety when his back was turned.
Walter Medina, 48, allegedly abused the woman since abducting her in January, beating her with a baseball bat and stabbing her with a flathead screwdriver.
By the time she escaped on Monday, she had bruises and deep puncture wounds all over her body, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida said.
‘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,’ police said.
Walter Medina, 48, allegedly abused the woman since abducting her in January, beating her with a baseball bat and stabbing her with a flathead screwdriver
Surveillance footage shows the woman sprinting across a road and through a car park after fleeing a Walgreens
She ran into a Mobil petrol station in Seffner, screaming her help, and locked herself in the bathroom for 20 minutes until police arrived
Finally her chance to escape came when Medina left her alone in a Walgreens for just a moment, and she ran from the supermarket.
Surveillance footage shows her sprinting across a road, through a car park, and into a Mobil petrol station in Seffner, on the outskirts of Tampa, Florida.
Media was caught on the same camera driving around the area in his gold Chrysler minivan, looking for her.
Deputies arrived to rescue the woman and obtained an arrest warrant for her tormenter, who was hunted down the next day.
Medina was arrested after a pursuit with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Lakeland Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol on Tuesday.
The 100mph chase ended when he lost control of the car and crashed into a raised median strip, then was arrested with the help of police dogs and taken to hospital under guard.
Police said Media met the woman when she was begging on the streets of Tampa in January and was initially friendly and gave her food and drugs.
But then he allegedly turned violent and kidnapped her under threat of injury.
Medina was arrested with the help of police dogs and taken to hospital under guard
Medina was jailed in the past for false imprisonment, and had a rap sheet that included kidnapping, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and robbery
Petrol station cashier Ashraf Zakhar was on duty when the woman raced through the doors, yelled she needed help, and locked herself in the bathroom.
She stayed holed up in there for 20 minutes until police Zakhar called arrived to help.
‘She was screaming and crying and said ‘I need help. I need help.’Her face was swollen, black eyes. Her whole face was beat up so bad,’ he told Fox 13.
Medina was charged with attempted second-degree murder, armed kidnapping, armed false imprisonment, aggravated battery with great bodily harm, tampering with a witness, and tampering with physical evidence.
He was jailed in the past for false imprisonment, and had a rap sheet that included kidnapping, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and robbery.
Medina was arrested after a pursuit with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Lakeland Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol (car chase pictured)
The 100mph chase ended when he lost control of the car and crashed into a raised median strip
Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister said the victim endured ‘months of relentless physical abuse and captivity’ but Medina’s ‘reign of violent terror’ was over.
‘I can’t imagine the torture this victim endured for months, but I can imagine the relief she felt when our deputies arrived,’ he said.
‘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.
‘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.’
Media is behind bars at the Orange County Jail.