TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Tallahassee man has been arrested after investigators say he grabbed a victim by the hair while he was driving, dragging her along the road.
Jesse Cook, 27, was arrested for false imprisonment, domestic battery, and burglary.
According to an arrest document, police responded to a home in the 2000 block of Hidden Gardens Place about a domestic disturbance. When they arrived, they spoke with the victim.
The victim said that she, Cook, and two other friends were hanging out and drinking alcohol the night before. Later in the night, the four went to a gas station to get more alcohol.
Before leaving, the victim said one of the friends asked if someone other than Cook could drive. Cook declined, saying he was going to take the "back way" to return to the home.
However, Cook instead started driving the opposite way, and based on his intoxication level, all the passengers became afraid they were going to crash.
The victim said all the passengers asked Cook to let them out of the car, so he stopped the vehicle. That's when he and the victim began arguing.
As the victim tried to get out of the car, Cook grabbed her by the hair to pull her back into the car, causing her to fall. As she was falling, Cook put the vehicle in reverse while still holding the victim's hair, dragging her.
Once he stopped the car again, the victim told investigators Cook got out of the car and approached her. To stop the fight, the other passengers shoved and punched Cook.
Court documents note that the victim's statements were corroborated by the other passengers in the car.
A witness told police that after the fight, all the passengers were picked up and brought back to his house. Around 7:15 a.m., Cook came to that house and broke in, despite being told to leave.
That's when the witness called police. According to the witness, Cook left the scene before law enforcement could arrive.
Investigators wrote the victim was missing a large section of skin on her back from the incident and had scratches on her legs. The home Cook allegedly broke into also had pry marks consistent with a forced entry.
When police spoke to Cook, he changed his story several times, eventually telling them that he didn't know how the victim got injured.
Based on the evidence, Cook was arrested and charged. As of Friday, he remains in jail on a $45,000 bond.
