A man in Florida has been arrested for taking and inflicting severe pain on a woman while keeping her as a captive for a long time.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office stated Walter Medina, 48, encountered the woman in January while she was asking for money in Tampa and provided her with food and drugs. He then started hitting her with a wooden baseball bat and a flat head screwdriver.
The woman managed to get away from him on Monday when he left her unattended at a Walgreen’s in Seffner for a brief time. She asked for help, and deputies discovered her with numerous injuries to her face and body and transported her to a hospital for treatment.
Medina ran away from the location, leading law enforcement on a pursuit through three counties at speeds of nearly 100 mph on Interstate 4. He was apprehended when he crashed into a concrete barrier at the John Young Parkway exit. He was taken to a hospital for treatment of his injuries and will be placed into the Orange County Jail on various traffic-related charges after he is released.
Meanwhile, in Hillsborough County, he is facing charges of attempted second-degree murder with a weapon, armed kidnapping, armed false imprisonment, aggravated battery with great bodily harm and a deadly weapon, tampering with a witness, and tampering with physical evidence.
Deputies stated the victim had broken ribs, deep puncture wounds, extensive bruising, and other serious injuries.
“I can’t imagine the torture this victim endured for months, but I can imagine the relief she felt when our deputies arrived,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “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.”
WFTS said Medina served time in prison in 1999 on another false imprisonment charge and has an arrest history that includes kidnapping, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and robbery.
[Featured image: Walter Medina/Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office]