Brooksville man faces kidnapping, battery charges

A Brooksville man faces charges of kidnapping and battery after deputies say he hit a woman and held held her against her will in his truck, according to a report from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.

After a short chase, Robert Lynn Perkins, 52, was taken to the Hernando County Detention Center on Sunday and was being held without bond. He also faces charges of resisting an officer with violence and reckless driving.

Dispatchers received a call from the victim’s cell phone about 10:30 p.m. Sunday and she could be heard crying and asking to be let out of a truck, the report said. A man can be heard yelling in the background, ordering the woman to stay in the truck, deputies said.

Authorities tracked the cell phone and found it to be moving north on Mariner Boulevard towards Cortez Boulevard, according to the report.

A short time later, the woman told dispatchers that she was being battered and held against her will, according to the report.

Perkins drove the woman to Jernigan Street, where she was able to flee to a neighbor’s house, the report said.

While trying to locate the victim, deputies were parked near Perkins home, 15370 Jernigan St., when they saw his silver Dodge Ram coming down the street, according to the report.

A deputy tried to stop the vehicle, but Perkins accelerated and turned left into a neighbor’s driveway, deputies said. Perkins lost control, nearly hitting a fence and striking a palmetto bush as the pickup traveled into the backyard, according to the report.

Perkins drove to the backyard of his home, jumped out of his pickup and tried to scale a fence, the report said.

A deputy caught Perkins, who began violently resisting, according to the report. After he was restrained, Perkins told deputies his name was Ralph Goodrich.

The victim was found with a red mark under her eye where she said Perkins stuck her, deputies said.