JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Lake City police said they arrested a man a video shows pursuing his girlfriend into the police lobby, knocking her down, grabbing her neck, and taking her phone before they said he drove away with her children in the car.
An investigation determined the woman fled to police seeking help after a physical altercation with her boyfriend, Branch Stamper, no age given, whom police have now charged.
After the altercation, police said Stamper entered the victim’s vehicle and left the parking lot with her two children still inside the car. Stamper has no biological or legal relationship with either child, police said.
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Officers began searching for the vehicle using information from a FLOCK license-plate reader. Network and location data from the victim’s cell phone also helped officers located the vehicle near NE Lake Drive, police said.
When found, Stamper was in possession of the vehicle, the victim’s property, and both children. He was taken into custody without incident, police said.
The children were safely reunited with their mother. The Department of Children and Families was notified and opened an investigation.
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The victim sustained visible injuries but declined medical treatment. Officers completed a domestic violence packet and lethality assessment. The assessment indicated that the victim faced a potentially lethal situation.
Officers provided her with information about available services and the injunction process.
Stamper was transported to the Columbia County Detention Facility.
“This case shows how quickly a domestic violence incident can escalate and place multiple lives at risk,” Lake City Police Chief Gerald Butler said. “Our officers acted quickly, used the available technology to locate the vehicle, and safely reunited these children with their mother.”
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