SEFFNER, Fla. (TCD) — Officials arrested a 48-year-old man this week on suspicion of kidnapping a woman and holding her hostage for over two months.
According to a news release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, on Monday, April 1, deputies responded to a Mobil gas station to a report of an injured woman seeking help after she escaped from a vehicle. Officials learned the victim had allegedly been panhandling since January near Hillsborough and Habana avenues, where she met 48-year-old Walter Medina. Deputies said Medina gave the woman food and narcotics before his “actions turned violent as he subjected her to months of relentless physical abuse and captivity.”
Medina allegedly attacked the woman with a wooden baseball bat and a flathead screwdriver. As a result, the sheriff’s office said the victim sustained critical injuries, including broken ribs, deep puncture wounds, and severe bruising. The victim was reportedly subjected to torture and captivity for around 2 1/2 months. During that time, Medina allegedly “forcibly transported her around the Tampa Bay area and threatened to kill her if she fled or sought help.”
The victim reportedly escaped from a van when Medina left her alone at a local Walgreens. When deputies arrived, they observed multiple injuries to the victim’s face and body, and she was transported to a hospital.
According to the sheriff’s office, detectives obtained a warrant for Medina’s arrest on charges of second-degree attempted murder, armed kidnapping, armed false imprisonment, aggravated battery with great bodily harm, tampering with a witness, and tampering with physical evidence.
On April 2, officials arrested Medina following a pursuit with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Lakeland Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol.
During the pursuit, the Florida Highway Patrol said Medina drove over 100 miles per hour and weaved across lanes, using the shoulders of the roadway. Troopers said they tried and failed to stop the vehicle twice using precision immobilization techniques.
Troopers conducted a felony traffic stop on the suspect, and Medina continued to refuse troopers’ orders. They eventually used a K-9 and took the fleeing suspect into custody. In addition to the charges out of Hillsborough County, Medina faces charges of reckless driving damage to person or property, flee to elude law enforcement at high speed, and hit and run — leaving the scene of a crash involving damage to property.
Medina was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center and was later booked into the Orange County Jail, records show.
According to the sheriff’s office, Medina has served time in prison in the past for false imprisonment. Additionally, he has previously been arrested on charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and robbery.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said, “I can’t imagine the torture this victim endured for months, but I can imagine the relief she felt when our deputies arrived.”
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