A man who authorities say kidnapped and tortured a woman for months in Hillsborough County was caught after a high-speed chase.
Walter Medina, aged 48, is charged with several crimes related to the abduction, attempted murder, armed kidnapping, and tampering with witnesses.
He's also facing charges in connection to the high speed chase, where speeds reached almost 100 mph.
The Kidnap
It all started earlier this year when the kidnapped woman was begging for money near Hillsborough and Habana avenues.
Medina met her there and initially gave her food and drugs, according to officials from the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office.
This would have led the woman to believe that Medina was a good person, so she followed him.
Medina soon became violent, subjecting her to months of constant physical abuse and captivity.
Medina repeatedly attacked the victim with a wooden baseball bat and a flathead screwdriver, causing serious injuries such as broken ribs, deep puncture wounds, and extensive bruising.
For about 2.5 months, the victim suffered greatly in the hands of Medina.
He forcefully moved her around the Tampa Bay area and threatened to kill her if she tried to escape or get assistance.
She managed to escape when Medina left her alone at a Walgreens.
After she escaped, she ran into a nearby gas station.
Deputies were called to the Mobil gas station after the clerk reported that "a woman who was hurt had just escaped from a van and needed assistance."
Deputies arrived immediately and the injured woman was sent to the hospital.
High Speed Chase
Detectives obtained arrest warrants for Medina after they identified him as the kidnapper.
Medina has been arrested before for kidnapping, false imprisonment, and robbery.
According to records, he has spent time in prison on multiple occasions.
When the police finally located Medina, he didn't surrender easily but instead led them on a dangerous high-speed chase.
The Lakeland police, the Florida Highway Patrol and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office’s aviation unit were involved in a pursuit of Medina.
Troopers joined the chase on the highway as Medina drove dangerously at speeds close to 100 mph.
The chase ended when Medina crashed into a median at John Young Parkway.
He refused to leave the minivan, but a police dog assisted in getting him out.
He was then taken to a nearby hospital.
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