Florida woman kidnapped, kept in dog cage: OC Sheriff’s Office
- Four suspects are suspected of kidnapping a woman in Florida
- An arrest affidavit says they kept her in a cage in a backyard shed
- Suspects were reportedly arrested and charged after six-hour standoff
(NewsNation) — Four people were arrested after a woman was kidnapped and kept in a dog cage in Florida, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call regarding a woman in her 40s around 2:10 p.m. Saturday, according to an arrest affidavit.
The woman, police said on Facebook, knocked on a door on Saturday, Aug. 12, and begged for help. She said she just escaped after being held “against her will” in a cage at a nearby property, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Monica Reed, 37, Damon Tromp, 19, Kevin Holmes, 21 and Cortez Marenzo Bernard Jackson, 39 were arrested and charged with armed kidnapping and false imprisonment with a weapon.
The arrest affidavit states the defendants tied the victim’s hands together using a cord and forced her into a vehicle by threatening her with a firearm. After driving to their destination, the suspects duct taped the woman’s hands, feet and mouth, then confined her to the cage, which was inside a backyard shed.
Reed, police said, was also charged with aggravated battery with a firearm for “pistol-whipping” the victim. The Sheriff’s Office reports the victim suffered minor injuries, including a laceration to her cheek.
She is expected to recover, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Reed, Tromp, Holmes and Jackson were arrested after a six-hour standoff, FOX 35 Orlando said. A spokesperson from the Sheriff’s Office said this is all the information police have to release at this time.
It was not immediately clear whether the suspects had retained an attorney at this time.