HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A man who allegedly tortured, beat, and held a woman captive for months in Hillsborough County has been arrested.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, 48-year-old Walter Medina of Tampa met the female victim who was panhandling near Hillsborough Avenue and Habana Avenue in January. Medina gave the victim food and narcotics, deputies said.
However, HCSO said he eventually started torturing her for around 2.5 months. HCSO said that Medina would hit her with a wooden baseball bat and a flathead screwdriver. She had severe injuries from the attacks, including broken ribs, deep puncture wounds, and extensive bruising, deputies said.
On April 1st, the victim was left alone at a Walgreens in Seffner for a short time and was able to escape Medina's van and get help. Detectives said the woman had numerous injuries to her face and body and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Medina fled the area, and authorities pursued him as he drove at speeds approaching 100 mph on I-4.
He was chased through three counties before crashing into a concrete barrier at the exit of John Young Parkway and was arrested.
Medina was taken to an area hospital for injuries suffered during the incident. He will be sent to the Orange County Jail upon release from the hospital.
The Florida Highway Patrol said he faces charges of fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, and leaving the scene of a crash involving damage to property.
Detectives in Hillsborough County said Medina's warrant charges him with attempted second-degree murder with a weapon, armed kidnapping, armed false imprisonment, aggravated battery with great bodily harm and a deadly weapon, tampering with a witness, and tampering with physical evidence.
Medina had served time in prison for a previous false imprisonment case in 1999 and has an arrest history including kidnapping, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and robbery.
