Hialeah police said they arrested the man who a surveillance video shows hit a woman to the ground, drag her into his pickup truck and drive away on New Year’s Eve.
Police on Sunday announced that both have been found safe, and the man, Jose Manuel Gonzalez, 49, has been arrested on kidnapping and domestic battery charges.
Lt. Eddie Rodriguez said in a statement that the woman, who has not been named, went to an area near West 27th Avenue and 52nd Street around 6:45 a.m. “visiting acquaintances,” when Gonzalez, who is her “longtime boyfriend,” showed up and forced her into his pickup truck.
A witness saw the confrontation and called 911. Detectives watched footage from nearby security cameras, which corroborated the witness’ statement, Rodriguez said.
Gonzalez’s arrest report details what allegedly happened: The video shows the two talking before Gonzalez strikes the woman, knocking her to the ground. He then picked her up and dragged her to his pickup.
After forcing her into the truck, he walked to the driver’s side, but the woman opened her door and ran away, according to the report. Gonzalez chased her down, punched her several times and then dragged her back to the truck, police said.
The footage then shows Gonzalez drive away with the woman in the pickup, according to the report.
After detectives watched the video, the department put out an urgent plea to the public asking for help locating the couple that included a description of Gonzalez’s Ford F-150 pickup truck.
Detectives found the couple in southwest Miami-Dade, where they arrested Gonzalez.
“While the victim is safe, the actions observed warrant serious legal consequences,” Rodriguez said.
According to the arrest report, Gonzalez told police that he and the woman were arguing because she was jealous and accused him of partying all night. He denied hitting her, the report states.
The woman told police that the argument was “over jealousy,” and that Gonzalez initially forced her into the truck to prove “he did not have any other set of clothes in the vehicle.”
Hialeah police Chief George Fuente issued a statement, saying the department “extends its sincere gratitude to the community for their vigilance and assistance during this investigation. Your partnership remains vital in ensuring the safety of our city.”