Panhandler kept as personal torture slave for months makes daring escape from clutches of Florida kidnapper: police
A Florida woman kept as a torture slave for months made a daring escape from her deranged kidnapper, who later ended up in cuffs after a high-speed chase with Sunshine State cops.
The unnamed woman allegedly escaped from the clutches of Walter Medina, 48, running from his van and into a gas station in Seffner on Monday after enduring months of agony, officials said.
The woman alleged she’d been panhandling in Tampa back in January when she met Medina, and he wooed her with food and drugs, the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office said.
But Medina’s behavior turned frightening, and the woman found herself allegedly trapped as he beat and tortured her for over two months, according to officials.
“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,” the sheriff’s office said.
Medina allegedly beat her with a baseball bat and broke numerous ribs, and left her with puncture wounds from a screwdriver, among other injuries.
She finally managed to escape Monday when Medina allegedly left her in his car while he went in to a Walgreens.
When officers responded to the call about her, they noted she had bruises across her face and body.
“I can’t imagine the torture this victim endured for months, but I can imagine the relief she felt when our deputies arrived,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement.
“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.”
The following day, Florida Highway Patrol Troopers said they caught up with Medina on Interstate 4 in the same Chrysler minivan the woman escaped from.
He allegedly put the pedal to the metal through busy traffic.
Medina swerved in and out of traffic as squad cars from multiple police agencies chased him down, and at one point he sped down the left shoulder at over 100 mph, cops said.
“While continuing to flee law enforcement, the driver failed to maintain a single lane and weaved between other vehicles using both shoulders of the roadway,” FHP said.
Medina sped down an exit, through a red light, and crashed into a median — wrecking his car, officials said.
After refusing to show his hands to officers, Medina allegedly reached for something in his car, and police unleashed a K-9 named Rico who took him down with a hefty bite.
Medina was hit with numerous charges, including armed kidnapping harm or terrorizing, attempted murder in the second degree and armed false imprisonment.
He has previously spent time in jail for charges of kidnapping and false imprisonment.
