Man held woman captive for days, repeatedly beat, stabbed and sexually assaulted her, deputies say

Hospital exam revealed 46 injuries to victim’s body

William Rodriguez-Cordero, 41 (Copyright 2021 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A man is locked up in Marion County after deputies say a woman escaped his home after being held captive for days and repeatedly beaten, stabbed and sexually assaulted.

According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Officer, deputies were called Wednesday after a woman showed up at a home saying she had just escaped a house on Dogwood Trail Run in Ocala after being brutalized for days.

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The victim told deputies she was homeless and had been staying at the house on Dogwood Trail Run for about a month and a half with William Rodriguez-Cordero-Cordero, 41, according to the arrest report.

The victim said she and Rodriguez-Cordero had a falling out and she returned to the house on Saturday to see where they stand, the report said. Deputies said during the course of that conversation Rodriguez-Cordero began to slap and punch the victim before hitting her with a broom handle. The woman tried to run but, deputies said, Rodriguez-Cordero chased her down and stabbed her with a 12-inch kitchen knife several times in the stomach and legs.

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He then forced her to walk back inside and clean herself up in a bathroom, according to the arrest report, but the abuse continued inside. During the beating and stabbing, deputies said the victim told them Rodriguez-Cordero kept referring to himself as “Lucifer” and called her “Lucifer’s sacrifice.” Records show he also told her several times that he would kill her.

Eventually, Rodriguez-Cordero told the victim he would show her “mercy” and bandaged her him, records show. The woman told deputies she was not allowed to leave and forced to sleep on the floor that night.

The next day, Sunday, the victim was allowed to heal but still not allowed to leave, according to deputies. The abuse resumed on Monday, records show, when Rodriguez-Cordero forced the victim to clean her own blood. He later began to strike and stab her again.

Deputies said the victim was allowed to recover again on Tuesday, but still not allowed to leave. Investigators said that night, Rodriguez-Cordero got the victim to perform a sex act on him. A few hours later, on Wednesday morning, Rodriguez-Cordero demand another sex act and forced the victim to continue when she asked to stop, according to deputies, which then culminated in Rodriguez-Cordero raping the woman.

Later that morning, deputies said Rodriguez-Cordero began threatening the woman again. She ran from the house while he was distracted, eventually making it to a neighbor’s house where 911 was called, according to the report.

Deputies said the signs of abuse were apparent on the victim and that she estimated she was stabbed between 10 and 20 times. She also told deputies she was repeatedly bitten and burned with cigarettes, records show.

Investigators said they confronted Rodriguez-Cordero Thursday as they executed a search warrant on the house along Dogwood Trail Run. Deputies said they found the victim’s wallet inside the home and spotted multiple blood splatters around the property.

As they questioned Rodriguez-Cordero deputies said the man admitted to having sex with the victim but claimed it was consensual. Rodriguez-Cordero went on to admit to hitting the victim but claimed she also hit him, He denied stabbing the victim but later said he could not remember and said he was “sorry” if he had.

Rodriguez-Cordero is being held without bond and faces charges of attempted homicide, sex battery, kidnapping and false imprisonment, aggravated battery using a deadly weapon and failure to appear.


About the Author:

Thomas Mates is a digital storyteller for News 6 and ClickOrlando.com. He also produces the podcast Florida Foodie. Thomas is originally from Northeastern Pennsylvania and worked in Portland, Oregon before moving to Central Florida in August 2018. He graduated from Temple University with a degree in Journalism in 2010.

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