A man who believed he had arranged a date with a woman he met on an online platform was instead subjected to a horrifying ordeal of assault, robbery, and an attempt on his life. This incident took place in Florida, as reported by the local sheriff’s office.
The victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, encountered Natalie Fonseca, a 25-year-old woman, on Facebook on October 6. Fonseca proceeded to request his help in procuring some food, according to an arrest report obtained by WEAR. Agreeing to assist, the man not only took her to a taco truck but also dropped her off at her residence as a gesture of courtesy, as reported by WEAR.
On the following day, Fonseca invited the man to join her for a date, dinner, and a hangout session, as documented in a Facebook post dated October 24 by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. After arriving at Fonseca’s residence, the man was greeted by someone claiming to be her uncle, Nafis Reynolds, aged 31. An arrest report revealed that the trio subsequently entered a vehicle together.
The group first went to Reynolds’s house to enjoy a cookout, according to the mentioned arrest report. Afterward, they left in the victim’s car, with Fonseca behind the wheel. During the ride, both Fonseca and Reynolds savagely assaulted the man, threatening that he would lose his life. The sheriff’s office detailed this gruesome incident in their Facebook post, stating that the assailants took away the victim’s shoes, phone, money, and car. They then took turns slashing his throat before mercilessly tossing him over a bridge railing and into the Escambia River.
Fleeing the scene, the criminals made their escape in the stolen vehicle. Eventually, they set the car ablaze a short distance away, according to the sheriff’s office. Miraculously, despite the heinous attack, the man managed to survive by swimming to the river’s shore. He eventually collapsed, lying there until he was found by a boater the next morning, as stated in the arrest report obtained by WEAR.
The victim was fortunate enough to encounter a deputy after the boater signaled for help, as mentioned by the sheriff’s office. Thanks to security camera footage and information obtained from a previous domestic incident, Fonseca and Nafis, who were actually in a relationship, were identified, as reported by WEAR.
Both Fonseca and Nafis are now facing charges of attempted murder, armed carjacking, armed robbery, and kidnapping, according to the sheriff’s office. The location where this disturbing incident unfolded, Pensacola, is situated approximately 200 miles west of Tallahassee. – The Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service
