A crumpled note left in the restroom of the sandwich chain Jersey Mike's Subs led police to rescue a woman who was being held captive by her pro-wrestler boyfriend.
The plea for help, which included the victim's address, was discovered at the sub shop in Navarre, Florida, by an employee, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office announced in a press release.
Highlights
- A woman was rescued after leaving a note with her name and address asking for help in a restaurant restroom.
- An employee found the note and called 911, and police subsequently discovered the 29-year-old victim with visible injuries at her home.
- Police arrested the woman’s boyfriend, 34-year-old professional wrestler Jordan Williams, who had held her captive for months.
In the note, the victim "identified herself and indicated she was being held against her will at a nearby residence and feared for her life," authorities said.
Employee Eleanor Coffee told NBC 15 that she found a "little piece of crumpled up paper that was shoved next to our toilet paper dispenser, and it looked like a piece of trash.
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"[The victim] was like, 'Please help me. I'm at this address in Navarre. I need you to call the police and do a wellness check.'"
According to an arrest report obtained by Law & Crime, the handwritten note ended with a plea, reading, "Please help get me home! HELP! Get me before May 30th!"
Chief Randy Tifft said the woman included many details in the note to help authorities locate her, including the type of car that would be in the driveway.
Image credits: WEAR Channel 3 News / YouTube
Coffee and her manager immediately contacted authorities, who carried out a wellness check at the address.
Upon arriving at the residence, they found a battered 29-year-old woman who detailed "repeated assaults, threats involving weapons, and being held in isolation for a span of several months," as per the press release.
Eleanor Coffee and her manager immediately called 911 upon reading the cry for help, which included the victim's name and address
Image credits: WEAR Channel 3 News / YouTube
Image credits: Tara Winstead / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The woman confirmed that she had written the note and said she had been subjected to "a prolonged period of ab*se."
She was transported to a local hospital for the treatment of multiple injuries, including suspected broken bones.
"Deputies observed visible injuries, and the victim was transported by EMS to a local hospital for treatment of suspected broken bones and other trauma," described Sheriff Bob Johnson.
At the residence, police found a battered 29-year-old woman and arrested her boyfriend, wrestler Jordan Williams
Image credits: WEAR Channel 3 News / YouTube
The woman's boyfriend, 34-year-old Jordan Williams, was arrested at the scene and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, k*dnapping and false imprisonment, felony and misdemeanor battery, and battery by strangulation.
Williams, a wrestler who performs in a local circuit under the name "Jayden Steele," had a documented history of domestic violence incidents.
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The victim's mother told police she thought Williams was "controlling" her daughter, who she said suffers from bipolar disorder and a brain tumor.
The victim's ex-husband told authorities that Williams allegedly "threatened to k*ll his children and his family" and had held her captive on previous occasions.
According to Law & Crime, the woman wrote in her note that Williams' parents were allegedly also involved in holding her against her will at the home.
According to Sheriff Bob Johnson, the woman was taken to the hospital for treatment of "suspected broken bones and other trauma"
Image credits: WEAR Channel 3 News / YouTube
Image credits: WEAR Channel 3 News / YouTube
Employees said surveillance footage from the store shows the pro-wrestler and the victim explaining that they were picking up DoorDash orders.
The woman was then seen walking to the restroom, where the note was found about twenty minutes after she left.
Williams, who had a history of domestic violence cases, was ordered to be held without bond
Image credits: WEAR Channel 3 News / YouTube
Image credits: WEAR Channel 3 News / YouTube
Williams denied ever striking the woman. He was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail on Thursday (May 29) and ordered to be held without bond, according to online court records. His arraignment is scheduled for June 19.
"Anybody who would do that to another woman, he don't need to be walking around free in our community," stated Chief Tifft.
Tifft added that, in many cases, women who are held against their will by their partners are "afraid" to seek help.
Williams was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, felony and misdemeanor battery, and battery by strangulation
Image credits: WEAR Channel 3 News / YouTube
Coffee, the employee who found the note and called 911, shared a message for the victim and expressed hope for her recovery after the traumatic experience.
"My heart goes out to her and her family," she said. "And I'm just, you know, hopeful that really doesn't happen again."
Sheriff Johnson stated that the case represents "the strength of coordinated work by [his] staff and the bravery of the victim.
"Thanks to her courage and the deputies' swift actions, she is now safe and receiving care."
People congratulated the worker for taking the note seriously and praised the woman for having the courage to defend herself
