Kidnapped woman was locked in a backyard dog cage and pistol-whipped, Florida cops say
A Florida woman was hit, kidnapped and kept in a cage by four people looking for information, deputies and news outlets report.
A woman knocked on the front door of a Pine Hills home on Aug. 12 and begged the homeowner for help, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said in an Aug. 14 news release.
The woman said she had been held captive in a cage at a nearby home, deputies said.
The sheriff’s office responded to the neighborhood and began what became a six-hour standoff until four people were taken into custody, WOFL reported, citing an arrest affidavit.
Now, they have been charged with armed kidnapping and false imprisonment, according to the sheriff’s office.
McClatchy News reached out to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for arrest documents on Aug. 14 and was awaiting a response.
Deputies said the four, ranging in age from 19 to 39, worked together as a group to approach the woman and tie her hands together, WFTV reported.
They threatened her with a gun, and one of the accused kidnappers pistol-whipped the woman before forcing her into a car, according to the outlet, citing the affidavit.
The woman was taken to a second location and her hands, feet and mouth were duct taped, according to the arrest affidavit obtained by WESH.
Once wrapped up, the woman was put in a dog cage in a shed in one of the accused kidnappers’ backyard, the affidavit said, according to the outlet.
The affidavit said the group was holding her captive for information about a potentially stolen item, WOFL reported.
It is unclear how the woman was able to escape or if she knew the accused kidnappers, according to the outlet.
All four accused kidnappers were charged with armed kidnapping and false imprisonment with a weapon, and one suspect was additionally charged with aggravated battery with a firearm in connection with the pistol-whipping,” deputies said in the release.
Pine Hills is a western suburb of Orlando.
This story was originally published August 14, 2023 at 1:31 PM with the headline "Kidnapped woman was locked in a backyard dog cage and pistol-whipped, Florida cops say."
