WALTON COUNTY, FLORIDA: A man reportedly hung out with a woman and another individual which the authorities are terming an 'unorthodox date' as the woman introduced the 'other man' to him as her 'uncle.'
However, things soon took a drastic turn as the woman and her “uncle” allegedly turned on the victim, slit his neck, and tossed him off a bridge.
According to Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, the victim survived the attack and managed to find a deputy.
The arrest affidavit against the defendants, Natalie Fonseca, 25, and Nafis Naim Reynolds, 31, is a complex incident because authorities describe the victim’s story as partially shifting during the investigation.
The victim can only speak Spanish
The authorities admitted that the victim can only speak in Spanish which made the efforts at communication even more complicated. However, at one point, an investigator pressed him on certain discrepancies between his story and surveillance footage.
On the morning of October 8, a deputy first came across the victim, drenched in blood, his face bruised and swollen at the Cumberland Farms parking lot along Scenic Highway, according to documents.
Authorities described the man as barefoot and hardly able to stand. There were deep lacerations on the front and sides of his neck and dried blood covered his face, neck and hands.
How did Natalie Fonseca and the victim meet?
The victim claimed he met the woman, later identified as Fonseca, through Facebook. In a later interview, he allegedly said that after work on October 6, he received a message in which Fonseca requested that he bring her something to eat, pizza or some McDonald’s.
They allegedly met at an Xpress Mart and drove over to a Taco Food Truck. He dropped her off at her home, he said in the affidavit.
“Victim later received a message from her thanking him for the tacos and saying that they were very good,” deputies wrote.
The following day, Fonseca messaged the victim saying that she wanted to see him again, documents stated.
The victim said he met her at the same home as the night before. They went to pick up her cat and eventually wound up at a cookout at her “uncle’s” home.
The victim had to pay for everything
The group later picked up some beer and wine with the victim paying for everything, after which they returned to the cookout.
“Victim was ready to leave and got back into the vehicle, the female [Fonseca] was driving, and the black male [Reynolds] got into the vehicle and began punching victim while the female drove,” authorities wrote.
“Victim remembers the female telling him that they were going to take him to a place and take everything from him, kill him, and throw him in the water," the authorities noted.
"Victim thought they were joking until they took him to the bridge, got him out of the vehicle, beat him some more, and then the Black male grabbed him, held him, and cut victim’s throat with a knife. The victim then yelled, ‘You killed me!’, [and] the Black male then threw victim over the side of the bridge into the water,” the authorities further noted.
The victim swam towards the land following the attack
The victim reportedly felt water stinging his sliced-up throat. He made a desperate effort to escape, swam towards land, reaching an area where he collapsed from exhaustion.
A boater found him, woke him up, and took him to shore. He walked from that location to where he found the first deputy.
The victim denied ever paying the woman for sex, though he acknowledged she brought up the possibility and that the price was $500, documents stated.
“Victim said he never agreed to pay her for any sex, but victim believes by telling her that he was cashing his check on Saturday the female knew that he would be holding a lot of money,” deputies wrote, according to Law and Crime.
What did surveillance footage show?
According to Xpress Mart surveillance footage from the night of October 6, the victim was seen pulling his van into the parking lot.
The woman stepped out after they sat in the vehicle for about four minutes and the man followed her into the store.
Furthermore, more footage from the night of the following day showed the same woman getting out of the driver’s side of the van and going into the store to buy drinks, candy, and a cup of ice. The victim was in the back seat while a man sat in the passenger seat.
“Victim remembered that it was Friday the 6th when victim cashed his check because victim did not work on Saturday,” authorities wrote.
“Victim stated that they went and picked the female up at her house, brought her to the store, gave her $75.00, they went into the store, bought the drinks and then took her home. The rest of the events of what happened on Saturday the 7th is just as the victim gave in the interview at the hospital," they added.
Fonseca and Reynolds are both charged with attempted murder, armed carjacking, armed robbery, and kidnapping. Their arraignments are scheduled for November 17.
