Man kidnapped women from park, bit and beat others: Cops
Share this @internewscast.com

Background: Tower Grove Park in St. Louis, Missouri (Google Maps). Inset: Austin Fitzgerald (St. Louis City Justice Center).

A man is facing allegations of committing over a dozen crimes over a two-day period in St. Louis, Missouri. These include the abduction of two women and attacks on others using brass knuckles.

According to court records in St. Louis County, 61-year-old Austin Fitzgerald has been charged with kidnapping, sexual abuse, assault, and illegal weapon usage, among other offenses. In total, he is facing 14 charges, with officials alleging a series of violent acts at Tower Grove Park on August 1 and 2.

On the first day of August, while at the park, two women were approached from behind by Fitzgerald, who allegedly wielded a firearm resembling a black pistol. He reportedly told them, “You two are coming with me,” and then seized one woman’s arm. When she resisted, he “ordered her to follow him in her vehicle,” as stated in a probable cause document.

According to the court report, Fitzgerald directed the second woman to enter his vehicle and drove away after the first woman “activated her car alarm and began yelling for help.” It was at this point that the alleged sexual assault took place.

The suspect is accused of having his weapon on his lap while forcing the woman in his car to remove her shirt and allegedly groping her. He reportedly threatened further harm, saying, “I am going to take you back to my hood,” and demanded money after taking her purse.

The suspect’s purported intentions were again foiled when the woman in his car managed to escape by “leaping into a witness’s vehicle,” who had captured the incident on video, which was later used as evidence. The probable cause report mentions that other witnesses supported the victims’ stories.

The women were “visibly shaking and crying” when officers arrived, according to a detective with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. They were both brought to a nearby hospital.

Midnight came and went, but Fitzgerald’s violence persisted, police said. On Saturday, four people were seated on a Tower Grove Park bench when the suspect came up from behind them and began to hit them in the head and chest, per a different probable cause statement.

As other people around tried to stop Fitzgerald, he allegedly “bit” another person, “causing a visible bruise and teeth markings.” Officers were called, receiving word via radio that a man “was assaulting multiple individuals with brass knuckles.”

When they arrived, park rangers had detained the suspect and seized the brass knuckles. Fitzgerald was booked into the St. Louis City Justice Center on Sunday.

The women who were attacked on Friday later “positively identified the defendant in a photographic lineup,” the detective stated in the court document, adding that “I believe the defendant poses a danger to the victims and community as he was also charged with multiple assault and weapons charges against other victims the following day.”

Fitzgerald was ordered on Tuesday to be held on no bond, and he was scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Wednesday.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Tragic Loss: ‘Lion King’ Actress Imani Dia Smith Fatally Stabbed

In a tragic turn of events, Imani Dia Smith, a former child…

Jaw-Dropping Footage: Authorities Apprehend Accused Child Killer Ashlee Buzzard

Captured on video by residents of Vandenberg Village in California, the tense…

Tragic Case: Mother Accused of Confining Daughter in Makeshift Closet and Starving Her to Death

Left inset: Andrea Loving being taken into custody for the murder of…

Tragic Dental Procedure Turns Fatal: Family Secures Settlement After Patient’s Brain Injury

Inset: Derek Swanson (Facebook). Background: Scottsdale Facial and Oral Surgery in Arizona,…

Teen Tourist Assault at St Kilda Pier Leads to Teen Arrest

A 19-year-old man has been charged after an alleged assault left a…

Shocking Twist: Florida Teen Arrested in Connection with Disappearance and Murder of Local Man

A 17-year-old boy from Florida has been taken into custody in connection…

Chilling Confrontation: Man Taunts Grieving Widow After Fatal Shooting During Dog Walk

Left inset: Todd Stalcup (Hall County Sheriff’s Office). Right inset: Terry Loden…

Woman Fatally Shot After Requesting Husband to Turn Off Monday Night Football; Stepfather Allegedly Targets Stepdaughter Next, Authorities Report

Inset: Jason Kenney (Polk County Sheriff”s Office). Background: Lemon Avenue in Lakeland,…

Chilling Incident: Mother Charged with Attempted Murder After Alleged Bathtub Drowning and Assault on Children

Inset: Anjelicia Stewart (Harris County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Cincinnati neighborhood where…

Gainesville Resident Faces Multiple Charges: Accused of Assault, Drug Possession, and Firearm Offenses

By Staff Writer GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Marquis Johnathan Tippins, aged 29, was…

Florida Man Arrested After Heated Football Dispute Leads to Tragic Shooting of Wife and Stepdaughter

Tragedy struck in Florida as a domestic dispute over a football game…

Mother Expresses Desire to Abandon Daughter for Boyfriend, Authorities Report After Teen’s Tragic Death

Left: Vangie Averhart (Wayne County Jail via WDIV). Right: Kylee Clark (Edward…