COLUMBUS, Ohio — In a harrowing incident, a woman who claims to have been drugged and sexually assaulted managed to break free from captivity, escaping from a residence in west Columbus on Wednesday evening.
According to court records, the victim contacted the police sometime after 8 p.m. on Wednesday while fleeing from a home located in the vicinity of the 250 block of South Powell Avenue in the Hilltop neighborhood. Upon arrival, law enforcement officers interviewed the victim, who recounted her ordeal, asserting that she had been forcibly held and subjected to sexual assault.
The woman informed the police that she had been confined within a bedroom at the residence owned by a man named Malik Willoughby. She described falling unconscious after consuming a Sprite she believed had been tampered with using a "drug substance." Upon regaining consciousness, she allegedly experienced physical discomfort consistent with a sexual assault.
As per her statement to the police, the victim overheard Malik Willoughby, 37, conversing with another individual in the same room. She claimed to have heard Willoughby mention that she "had seen too much and needed to be disposed of." Supposedly, he instructed the unidentified person to transport her to the basement and place her inside a dog cage.
Seizing an opportunity, while Willoughby was preoccupied with answering the front door, the victim managed to escape from the residence. During her escape, she reported hearing the screams of other women from the basement. Authorities have not released further details regarding any potential additional victims within the premises.
The woman received medical treatment for her injuries at Grant Medical Center.
Subsequently, Malik Willoughby was apprehended and charged with kidnapping during the commission of sexual activity. As of Friday morning, Franklin County Municipal Court records had not yet indicated whether he had been granted bond. A preliminary hearing date had also not been disclosed in the records.