DAPHNE, Ala. (WALA) – Baldwin County authorities have arrested a man from Georgia following a disturbing incident of domestic violence and kidnapping. The incident unfolded in Daphne at a hotel and reached its climax on a bridge in Loxley, where the victim, in an attempt to escape, leaped and sustained injuries.
According to the police, the altercation originated from a heated argument between two individuals involved in a romantic relationship at a local hotel. As per investigators, the suspect demanded the victim purchase a bus ticket to Georgia, but the victim requested time for their phone to charge before complying.
“That apparently angered the suspect to a point where it led to a physical confrontation that led to the strangulation and the pinning to the floor with the chair,” explained Daphne Police Chief, Brian Gulsby.
According to Gulsby, Corderio Jermaine Laney from Albany, Georgia, allegedly dragged the victim into a bathroom, choked him until he lost consciousness, and placed a chair on top of him. After regaining consciousness, both individuals went outside to smoke, but Laney realized he had left his cigarettes upstairs and went back inside to retrieve them. It was during this time that the victim seized the opportunity to escape. He drove his van to a nearby car lot and contacted the police.
Gulsby stated, “The suspect left the hotel room before the officers arrived, located the victim, managed to overpower him, and forcibly took him away from the scene in the victim’s vehicle. They traveled on Highway 90, where the suspect threatened to cause a head-on collision with another vehicle.” Eventually, the van came to a halt on a bridge just west of County Road 66 in Loxley. A passing motorist alerted the Loxley Police after witnessing the two men fighting on the bridge. Investigators reported that the victim, in an attempt to escape Laney, jumped from the bridge, injuring himself in the process. He hid until he could flag down another passing motorist, who promptly contacted the police. The Loxley Police Department made the arrest and informed the Daphne authorities.
Gulsby commented, “The victim was clearly fearing for his life. He took the necessary steps to protect himself or what he believed would save him.” Gulsby commended the Loxley Police Department for their prompt response and successful apprehension of the suspect amidst what must have been a highly chaotic situation.
The victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, hails from Pensacola and is currently hospitalized for a broken ankle and other injuries. Corderio Laney, with a history of violent offenses in his home state of Georgia, is facing charges of domestic violence strangulation and second-degree kidnapping in relation to this incident. Source.
