BY IRIS B. HOLTON
Sentinel City Editor
Last Thursday, a 41-year-old Tampa man was charged with torturing his girlfriend over a 6-day period. The arrest followed a public appeal for information leading to his whereabouts.
According to a spokesperson for the Tampa Police Department, Leon Jorge Washington was arrested after someone saw the 6 p.m. news and called in a tip. Washington was arrested without incident.
The tip led seven U. S. Marshals, six Tampa Police Officers, and four task force officers from the Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Polk County Sheriff’s Offices responded to 7155 Fairview Park Drive. Information received revealed that Washington was inside the trailer park.
Upon arriving at the scene, police found Washington hiding in a back room and ordered him out of the room. He initially faced charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, and kidnapping. Washington was placed under a $200,000 bond.
However, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office jail records, the judge presiding over his first appearance in court revoked the bond Saturday. Washington now faces additional charges of kidnapping committed on a child under 13; battery second or subsequent offense; and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is being held without bond.
According to police, the ordeal that a 31-year-old Tampa woman and her 6-year-old daughter endured began on December 23rd. The woman had lived with Washington at the 3419 E. Deluil Avenue address for about 9 months.
However, police said Washington suspected her of being unfaithful and attacked her with an ice pick, clothes iron, and a knife causing serious abrasions, burns and lacerations. He forced her to perform sexual acts, and cut her braids out with pruning shears, cutting her scalp in places.
“He hit her so hard that she has to see a specialist for bone damage in her eye area. She has burns and lacerations all over her body. And after he cut off her hair, he kept it in a bag,” a spokesperson for the Tampa Police Department said.
She also stated that while the little girl was not injured physically, Washington, who stands 6 feet tall and weighs 300 pounds, did spit on her.
Police said the woman was prevented from leaving because all of the windows were equipped with burglar bars and the doors had deadbolt locks.
On December 29th, the victim’s sister went to the home and found her sister going in and out of consciousness. She was able to convince Washington to allow the woman to get medical attention. He reportedly agreed that they could go to the pharmacy, but them he would kill them both if they called police or went to a hospital.
The two women took the little girl and called police after they were safely away. Washington fled the scene before police arrived.
Although the victim was provided with a police escort, it still took a day to convince her she would be safe while seeking medical treatment, police said.
Police explained that because she is self-employed and works from home, she was not reported missing. Her sister went to the residence to check on her after not hearing from her during the holidays.
