Most people who have driven alone in cars have felt, at one point or another, that something or someone might have sneaked into the car without them knowing. It’s mostly an unnecessary fear, though it can be especially nerve-wracking for those who feel more vulnerable.
For one woman, that usually irrational fear became a terrifying reality.
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On Jan. 27, the unnamed woman in Harrison, Ohio, returned to her parked car on North Jefferson Street. She had parked in front of the house of Jarrod Rodriguez, 40.
At some point Rodriguez allegedly crawled into the car’s trunk and remained there, armed and waiting.
As the woman drove onto 1-74, Rodriguez emerged and got into the passenger seat, where he started to attack her.
Police said he pulled out a gun and a knife, told the woman he would kill her and said that she had “two hours to change his mind,” according to WKRC-TV.
“I was on my way to school and I got into my car and onto the highway, and he had hid in the hatchback,” the woman said Monday, according to WXIX-TV. “He was waiting for me. He jumped in the front seat and started beating me. I didn’t know he was in my car.”
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“He then ordered her to drive faster and told her where to go, all while holding the gun to her side,” the affidavit stated. “Mr. Rodriguez then told her he would shoot her up with enough heroin to make her overdose.”
The woman eventually pulled over on an exit ramp and tried to get out of the car, but Rodriguez attacked her again and tried to get her back in the car.
Several people spotted the attack and called 911 to report it. In the meantime, the woman managed to get away and shelter at a nearby gas station.
Rodriguez then took her car and drove away.
While court documents did not indicate a connection between Rodriguez and the woman, the woman told authorities that they were dating up until several months ago.
“We were fighting,” she said. “We’ve been fighting. I was going to file a restraining order on him today.”
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Rodriguez has faced multiple charges in the past, including domestic violence and misdemeanor drug possession, but those charges were eventually dropped.
He was arrested again after this incident and charged with aggravated robbery, kidnapping, assault and aggravated menacing, according to records from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.