It’s hard to imagine the sheer terror that would come with being held captive at gunpoint, let alone being strong-willed enough to orchestrate your own escape.
But one brave woman, from Florida, managed to do just this when she out-smarted her allegedly abusive boyfriend by slipping a handwritten note to staff at her dog‘s veterinarian clinic.
Carolyn Reichle, 28, spent two days straight locked inside the home she shared with 39-year-old Jeremy Floyd, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Reichle told police she was repeatedly beaten, and Floyd fired his gun inside the house twice. Nursing a head injury, she began to plot her escape.
Beaten DeLand woman alerts authorities by slipping note saying she is being threatened at gunpoint by her boyfriend. Read more: https://t.co/FwxTwmdSKG pic.twitter.com/bK7rIHWWLT
— Volusia Co. Sheriff (@VolusiaSheriff) May 26, 2018
She eventually convinced Floyd to let her take their dog to the vet after the pet was behaving strangely.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports Floyd insisted on going along too. According to police, he was armed with a loaded pistol and threatened to kill her and her family during the car ride. Little did he know that once they arrived at the clinic, Reichle rushed to the bathroom, quickly scribbled a note and emerged with a piece of paper clasped in her hand, ready to pass to a staffer.
“Call the cops. My boyfriend is threatening me. He has a gun. Please don’t let him know,” the note read.
She handed it to an employee at the animal hospital, who then called 911.
Floyd, who is a convicted criminal, was arrested and charged with various offences including domestic violence, aggravated assault with a firearm and false imprisonment. He is being held without bail.
Reichle was taken to hospital with bruises, scratches, a black eye and a head wound.
Incredibly, authorities say this was not her first attempt to free herself from him. She had reportedly jumped from a bedroom window and fled down the street, but Floyd sprinted after her and dragged her back inside.
The fact she still managed to have the courage to plot her escape at the vet, despite the danger it posed for her, is a huge testament to her strength.
If this post brings up any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).