A Florida man who allegedly tortured, beat, and held a woman captive for months 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 in January of 2024. Medina gave the victim food and narcotics.
He would eventually start torturing her for around 2 1/2 months, with HCSO saying that Medina would hit her with a wooden baseball bat and a flathead screwdriver.
Authorities said the victim was left alone inside Medina's van at a Walgreens for a short time on April 1, and was able to escape and get help. She had severe injuries to her face and body from the attacks, including broken ribs, deep puncture wounds, and extensive bruising, and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
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Medina fled the area and authorities pursued him as he drove at speeds approaching 100 mph. After a pursuit that stretched from Hillsborough County into Polk County and Orange County, police said he crashed into a concrete barrier and was apprehended.
Medina was transported to an area hospital to be treated for injuries suffered during the incident. Authorities said he will be sent to the Orange County Jail upon release from the hospital.
Medina will be charged by the Florida Highway Patrol for fleeing and eluding law enforcement, reckless driving, and leaving the scene of a crash involving damage to property.
The warrant out of Hillsborough County charged 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.
This story was originally published by Amanda Boettcher at Scripps News Tampa.
