WILDWOOD, Fla. – A woman who was missing out of Wildwood after being beaten and kidnapped late Thursday has been found safe, according to police.
James Savage, 54, is accused of punching 60-year-old Marivel Dunn, pulling her by her hair and slamming her into the ground at a residence in the 6000 block of Hall Place before forcibly putting her in his vehicle and driving away prior to officers’ arrival, police said.
A video shared Friday morning by the Wildwood Police Department appears to show surveillance footage of the incident. Savage can be seen wearing a black tank top, green shorts and black/brown flip flops as he batters Dunn in the process of forcing her into his vehicle, police said.
Savage’s vehicle, described as a black 2018 Mercedes-Benz S Series, was located Friday morning. A couple hours later, the department said Dunn had been found safe with the help of other law enforcement agencies.
“Mr. Savage has been located by an out-of-county law enforcement agency and they are working on apprehending him at this time. Due to this being an active law enforcement scene, no further details regarding their location will be provided at this time,” the department said on Facebook.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office later confirmed that Savage had barricaded himself in a home along SE 174th Belhaven Loop at the north end of The Villages. Marion and Sumter county deputies are involved in the standoff, according to a release. People are being asked to avoid the area as the law enforcement presence may lead to road closures.
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According to a news release, Savage and Dunn were last known to be in a domestic relationship and had lived together at multiple locations. The two had ties to Sumter, Marion and Palm Beach counties, investigators said.
Multiple law enforcement agencies were working with Wildwood police, the release states, adding that while multiple phone numbers are associated Savage and Dunn, all related phones had reportedly been turned off.
This is a developing story. Check back with News 6 for updates.
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