A Florida man has been arrested after allegedly holding a Black woman against her will while she was making a grocery delivery.
According to Atlanta Black Star, 70-year-old Richard Fritzinger was arrested and convicted of felony false imprisonment in connection with his January encounter with Jakara Wilson in Altoona, a small town near the Ocala National Forest.
Wilson was making a delivery for Kroger on January 17 when she took a wrong turn and got the company van stuck in the mud. Following company policy, Wilson called a tow truck and contacted customers to retrieve their groceries.
While she waited, Wilson was approached by a young woman, who offered help for $100 from her grandfather, who was later identified as Fritzinger. Wilson declined the offer, saying a tow truck was on the way. However, once the tow truck arrived, Fritzinger stood in front of Wilson's vehicle and interfered with the recovery, claiming the road was private property and that only he had the right to pull her out. Fritzinger removed towing straps and blocked the company van as he dared Wilson to run him over.
The situation escalated when Fritzinger’s adult grandson arrived and began arguing with the tow truck driver, eventually shoving him. Video recorded by Wilson shows the grandson and driver fighting on the ground, the grandson yelling, “Where’s my pistol?” while attempting to get his dog to attack the driver.
Despite the tow truck driver successfully attaching the vehicle, Fritzinger continued to block Wilson’s exit.
“You ain’t leaving,” he told the driver.
The driver warned Wilson she was being kidnapped and urged her to follow him once free. Unable to leave and feeling unsafe, Wilson called 911.
Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy Jett Bloom reviewed Wilson’s video at the scene and arrested Fritzinger.
“The victim recorded a video of the entire incident, which was reviewed on scene and showed her story to be consistent,” Bloom wrote in his report. “The defendant was placed under arrest for falsely imprisoning the victim due to stopping her only way of leaving.”
Watch video of the incident below.
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