Two Fort Worth men are facing several felony charges after a woman contacted 911 from a moving vehicle in Midland, claiming to be kidnapped and attacked by her ex-boyfriend. Police detained both guys early Friday morning after conducting a high-risk traffic stop. They are accused of holding the woman against her will and attempting to dispose of illegal substances during the stop.
On June 6, Jerome Marquise Donavon, 35, and James Albert Williams III, 35, were booked into the Midland County Jail. Both are accused with kidnapping and possessing a controlled drug. Donovon is also charged with assault, family violence by obstructing breath, and interfering with an emergency call.
According to records, on Friday, June 6, Midland dispatch received an open-line 911 call shortly before 1 a.m. from a lady who said she was being kidnapped. The caller, eventually identified as the victim, could be heard sobbing and wailing, saying, “I’m tired of it, kill me. You should have killed me the last time,” before the line disconnected.
According to reports, dispatch traced her phone’s location as it passed through multiple Midland junctions, including Loop 250, North Big Spring Street, and finally Burnett Lane, where the woman said officers she was tossed from a passing vehicle. She characterized the suspect’s vehicle as an older, white Buick with a shattered rear window.
Officers later found a car matching the description on Big Spring Street and conducted a traffic stop. As police activated their emergency lights, they observed the front passenger chuck a baggie containing a white, rock-like substance out the window, which was later proved to be crack cocaine weighing 22.1 grams.
The two males were apprehended during the stop. Williams, who was driving, told officers that he had picked up Donovon to drive to a bar and had no knowledge of a female passenger or narcotics. Donovon also denied any violence or drug involvement, claiming to have previously driven a friend and her daughter.
The victim later informed investigators that her ex-boyfriend, Donavon, assaulted her in the back seat of the vehicle while the child locks stopped her from fleeing. She claimed he strangled her, restricted her breathing, and threw her phone out of the car when she attempted to contact for help.
According to detectives, the woman’s daughter, who was also in the car, reportedly handed her a second phone so she could contact 911 after being tossed from the vehicle.
According to reports, the woman told police that she wanted to press charges and requested an emergency protection order.
Police also noticed that Donovon had white residue on his hands, which he said was due to dry skin. Both suspects denied knowledge of the drugs, but authorities ruled that because they controlled the vehicle and attempted to dump narcotics during the stop, both men would be charged with possession.
According to reports, police arrested Donavon on multiple charges based on the totality of the circumstances, including his alleged assault of the victim, the use of child locks to restrain her, the destruction of her phone to prevent emergency calls, and the discovery of 22.1 grams of suspected crack cocaine tossed from his side of the vehicle. Williams, who drove the vehicle and helped prevent the woman’s escape, was also detained for kidnapping and narcotics possession.
Donovon was arrested and charged with kidnapping, assault on a family/household member by impeding breath (both third-degree crimes), possession of a controlled substance (second-degree felony), and interference with an emergency call (class A misdemeanor). His combined bond is $100,500.
Williams was arrested and accused with kidnapping and possessing a controlled narcotic. His total bond is set at $75,000.
As of Tuesday, both guys remained in the Midland County Detention Center. All charges remain pending.
