Woman leaps from balcony to escape kidnapping after horrific cross-country ordeal: officials
A Florida woman allegedly kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend escaped a three-week ordeal by jumping from a California balcony, Lee County authorities say.
A Florida woman escaped a terrifying three-week kidnapping ordeal after allegedly being held captive and driven across the country by her ex-boyfriend, eventually leaping from a California balcony to save her life, authorities said Thursday.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno announced Thursday that 41-year-old Floyd Stuck was arrested on charges including kidnapping, aggravated stalking, installing a tracking device without consent and fleeing and eluding law enforcement after authorities uncovered what they described as a violent, coast-to-coast abduction that began in Southwest Florida.
The investigation began Tuesday when the victim contacted the Lee County Sheriff's Office after discovering that Stuck had allegedly attempted to place a tracking device on her vehicle.
Responding deputies soon uncovered what Marceno described as a months-long nightmare.
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"This suspect is a calculated maniac and a very dangerous person," Marceno said during a press conference. "Over the past two days, our detectives and deputies from the Lee County Sheriff's Office have worked around the clock to end the coast-to-coast terrorizing of an innocent woman."
According to investigators, Stuck convinced the victim to accompany him on what was supposed to be a three-day trip to New York to visit family. The pair left Lee County on April 20.
Authorities said Stuck began acting erratically while driving and informed the victim their plans had changed. He allegedly handed her documents containing information about her family members and threatened to harm them if she failed to comply with his demands.
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"What was supposed to be a three-day flight turned into a three-week long nightmare of fear and violence," Marceno said.
Investigators said Stuck confiscated the victim's phone and wallet before driving her through multiple states, including Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Nevada, while allegedly threatening to kill her if she attempted to escape.
Authorities also allege Stuck physically assaulted the victim during the trip, including choking her hard enough to leave injuries.
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"Imagine being kidnapped, sitting next to a violent psychopath, wondering if every mile farther from home is where you will be killed," he said.
The ordeal allegedly escalated after the pair arrived in San Diego, where investigators say Stuck bound the victim with zip ties and duct tape and held a knife to her throat.
According to authorities, Stuck told the victim she would be dead by the next morning.
After three days in captivity, the victim escaped while Stuck was distracted by a food delivery.
Authorities said the woman jumped from a balcony and ran to a neighboring residence, where she was able to contact police. She was later taken to a hospital.
"This nightmare our victim endured has no place in society, not just in Lee County, not anywhere," Marceno said.
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Investigators said Stuck fled the San Diego area before police could arrest him and later used multiple phone numbers to continue harassing the victim while attempting to convince her he had fled to South America.
The victim eventually returned to Lee County in mid-May.
According to investigators, the case resurfaced Tuesday after the victim's home security camera allegedly captured Stuck attempting to place a tracking device on her vehicle.
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"When the victim told deputies what happened, the response was immediate with all hands on deck," Marceno said.
Authorities from multiple agencies launched an intensive search.
Marceno said deputies spotted Stuck on Tuesday night in Bonita Springs, where he allegedly fled a traffic stop and led law enforcement on a pursuit before abandoning his vehicle in a parking garage and escaping in a rideshare vehicle.
Investigators tracked him into neighboring Collier County, where he was ultimately taken into custody following another vehicle pursuit and foot chase.
"Knowing that Stuck was free and capable of harming others was not acceptable to us," Marceno said. "We had to find him or drive him out of hiding."
Marceno described Stuck as one of the most dangerous suspects his agency has encountered.
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"This sadistic, twisted excuse of a human being is one of the worst," the sheriff said.
Authorities said Stuck has a lengthy criminal history that includes allegations involving armed robbery, fraud, arson, fleeing law enforcement and the use of fake bomb devices during jewelry store robberies in Maryland.
Investigators also said Stuck was out on bond in a separate Collier County fraud case involving more than $100,000 and dozens of alleged victims at the time of his arrest.
"There is no doubt in my mind that everything has continued to escalate and that if we didn't intervene, the results could have been and probably would have been homicide," Marceno said.
The investigation remains active, and authorities said additional charges could be filed in multiple states.
"The world's a better place when he's off the streets," Marceno said.
