LAKE WORTH (WBAP/KLIF News ) – The Lake Worth Police Department’s entire Criminal Investigation Division saved a severely injured woman who was was being held captive by her alleged abuser on Tuesday.
The rescue was sparked by a tip from a concerned citizen.
Investigators said the suspect, identified as 27-year-old Dewitt Guice, allegedly took the victim from her home and held her captive overnight at the America’s Best Value Inn off of I-30 Frontage Road in Fort Worth.
Guice was bonded out of jail and wearing an ankle monitor after Fort Worth police arrested him on charges of assault causing bodily injury and family violence.
Police said they were able to track Guice via his ankle monitor and surrounded the hotel room where the victim was being held.
They arrested him in less than two hours of receiving the tip.
The victim was taken to a nearby hospital and is in stable condition.
Lake Worth Police Chief J.T. Monoughagian said the victim sustained the worst injuries he’s seen in his 19-year career history.
“To the victims of domestic violence and the cowards who abuse – we’re coming for you,” he said in a written statement. “The men and women of the Lake Worth Police Department stand boldly with our community and leaders from across the country to say that we will not tolerate domestic violence in Lake Worth of Tarrant County.”
Guice was charged with assault family violence with a previous conviction, a third-degree felony, and unlawful restraint, a Class A misdemeanor.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and North Texas police departments are supporting the “Not in My County” campaign, which brings awareness to the prevalence of family violence.
If you or someone you know is the victim of intimate partner violence, please reach out to the following resources:
National Domestic Violence Hotline (www.thehotline.org)
Call: 1-800-7997233, TTY: 1-800-787-3224
SafeHaven of Tarrant County (www.safehaventc.org)
1-877-701-7233
One Safe Place (www.onesafeplace.org)
1-817-916-4323
The Women’s Center of Tarrant County (www.womenscentertc.org)
Texas Health and Human Services
(https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/safety/family-violence-program)
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