A 76-year-old resident of the Village of DeLuna was arrested on felony charges after he allegedly trapped a woman on their lanai and grabbed her arms during an argument over marital difficulties.
Michael Andrew Ripp was arrested Saturday by the Wildwood Police Department on felony charges of false imprisonment and battery on a person 65 years of age or older.
Officers responded to Samantha Court after the victim fled to a neighbor’s house to call 911. She told police she and Ripp had been arguing about marital difficulties inside their home, and she stepped out onto the lanai in an attempt to get away from him. However, Ripp followed her and cornered her, according to the arrest report.
When the woman asked him to move so she could leave the area, Ripp allegedly refused and blocked the doorway. She attempted to use a second doorway, but he moved to block that exit as well, confining her to the lanai against her will.
The woman told police she tried to quickly move toward one of the exits, but Ripp grabbed both of her arms and refused to let go. She repeatedly told him to release her and tried to pull away, but he twisted her right wrist and continued to restrain her. She screamed for help and threatened to call law enforcement before eventually escaping to the neighboring home.
According to the arrest report, the victim had access to the home’s interior video surveillance cameras and showed officers footage that perfectly corroborated her account of the attack.
Ripp was taken into custody and booked at the Sumter County Detention Center. He has since been released after posting $3,000 bond.