DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A man was arrested in Daytona Beach on allegations of raping and starving a woman over the course of a week as he held her captive.
According to the News-Journal, Daytona Beach police said Robert Pettis, 28, held the woman hostage for six days in a beachside apartment while building a bomb.
Police said the ordeal began Oct. 15 when Pettis punched the woman in the eye and she tried to call 911. He broke all electronics in the home and sexually assaulted her over the next six days.
The attacks occurred with her 4-year-old son in the home, police said. Pettis also threatened to blow up the apartment with the 25-year-old woman and her son inside, according to police.
The woman was able to escape Wednesday during a trip to a liquor store, police said.
Pettis faces multiple charges, including sexual assault, false imprisonment and child abuse. It's unclear whether he's obtained a lawyer. He was being held in the Volusia County Jail on $70,000 bond.