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Bond hearing for man accused of attempted murder, kidnapping
Gloria Gomez reports
TAMPA, Fla. - Joshua Grimes is a career criminal who’s been in and out of prison, but his latest crime nearly turned deadly, according to prosecutors.
The victim of his latest criminal case took the stand during a bond hearing. FOX 13 is not identifying the victim due to the nature of the charges.
The young man testified that he met Grimes in October on a dating website and the two were casually seeing each other, but Grimes wanted more.
Pictured: Joshua Grimes
"He wanted a possible relationship, and I told him it would not work, it would not be the best for us because of my career," explained the victim.
That rejection appeared to enrage Grimes who, according to the victim, broke into his Tampa apartment at Lakeside Commons Drive, in the early morning hours of Feb. 5. The man said he woke up to Grimes beating him, choking him, and knocking him unconscious several times during the attack.
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"That’s when he used rope to tie my ankles and wrists and threw shackles on top of the rope," recalled the victim.
But Grimes wasn’t finished. Prosecutors say he then decided to kidnap the victim, dragging him down the stairs against his will and forcing him into a car.
He told the judge that right in the middle of the attack Grimes suddenly got hungry.
"He drove us to a McDonald’s. He went through the drive-through and I saw that as an opportunity to try to get help, so I kind of started yelling, asking him why he was doing the stuff to me," explained the victim.
He said Grimes panicked and parked at a nearby dumpster and pulled out a box cutter threatening to kill him. By that time, McDonald’s staff had already called police and within minutes arrested Grimes.
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Prosecutors called Grimes a danger to the community and wanted the judge to deny him bond and keep him in jail until his trial.
Pictured: Joshua Grimes
Tampa Judge Catherine Catlin did just that.
"You are a clear and present danger to this victim and, under the pretrial detention statute, you are a clear and present danger to our community," ruled Catlin.
Grimes is charged with attempted murder and kidnapping.
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