09 January 2023 , 14:44
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A woman was allegedly beaten, raped and starved of food and water for five days after being kidnapped by her Bumble date, grim new details of the horror case have revealed.
Zachary Mills, 21, has been released on $50,000 (£41,207) bond after holding a woman he met on the dating app against her will during a meeting at his apartment on Christmas Eve, police say.
Through the nightmare ordeal, Mills is said to have beaten the victim with a closed fist and bit her on the neck and face, according to the legal complaint against him.
The victim says that when Mills became tired of hitting her with his hands, he would use a screwdriver and strike her with the handle instead.
Despite trying to leave on a number of occasions, Mills stopped her and even refused to provide her with food or water throughout the five days of false imprisonment.
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Mills's arrest was captured on smartphone footage (Harris County Constable, Precinct 4)
He is now under house arrest after posting $50,000 bond (Harris County Constable, Precinct 4)On December 29, the unidentified victim finally managed to escape when her captor left to visit his father.
After he'd left, she gathered her clothes and ran out of the door.
She found "the first people who she came in contact with and advised them of what had occurred, the complaint adds.
The woman sustained “severe bruising to both eyes, bite marks and cuts to both her throat and nose, and severe bruising to majority of her body."
Mills in court (KPRC2)The Constable's Office received reports of a woman having been assaulted by a man she met online. The suspect was later identified as Mills.
Mapping out the timeline, deputies believe the victim had been held at Mill's residence for five days against her will.
The woman told deputies she'd been sexually assaulted on multiple occasions.
Mills managed to raise his $50,000 bond and was released from jail but remains under 24-hour house arrest.
He is banned from being within 200ft of where the victim works or lives, and he can only leave the house to get groceries, meet his lawyer, or go to court.
ABC 13 Houston previously quoted Mills' defence attorney, Chris Denuna, saying: "Right now, Mr. Mills is presumed innocent. Until then, we will review discovery, strategise and prepare a defence."
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The victim managed to escape after seeking help from a neighbour (KPRC2)Constable Mark Herman said in a statement: "Zachary Mills was arrested and booked into the Harris County Jail, charged with First Degree Aggravated Kidnapping.
"His bond was set at $50,000 out of the 351st District Court. Additional charges may be filed at a later time following further investigation."
In a full statement detailing the incident, police said: "On December 29, 2022, deputies with Constable Mark Herman's Office responded to an in reference to a female victim that was severely assaulted by a male suspect she met on an online dating platform, identified as Zachary Mills.
"Further investigation revealed that she arrived at his residence on December 24 and was held there against her will until she was able to escape and seek help from a neighbour on December 29.
"She was then transported to a local hospital to have her injuries treated.
"While being held against her will, she was denied food and water and was assaulted and sexually assaulted multiple times leading to serious bodily injury.
"On December 30th, Constable Deputies executed a search warrant at his residence and successfully apprehended him."