DeLAND, Fla. – A woman who handed a receptionist a note for help spoke with News 6 about her experience.
On Wednesday, a charge of stalking was added against the suspect, Jeremy Floyd, 39, after he called the victim dozens of times from behind bars.
The victim said that she wants others dealing with domestic violence to know that help is out there.
"You kind of lose faith in humanity, but then you just slip a note to a veterinarian and they call the police for you," the victim said.
The 28-year-old woman was seen in surveillance video from Friday, showing her inside the lobby of the DeLand Animal Hospital handing staff a note. The note said that her boyfriend was threatening her with a gun.
She told News 6 that after two days of being assaulted by Floyd, she convinced him to bring her dog to the veterinarian. She told staff that she thought her dog had an ear infection, but in reality she was worried his ear had been grazed by a bullet inside their home.
"I wrote it on my hand. Just took off my bank note and wrote it and then, my handwriting isn't usually that sloppy," the victim said.
After writing the note inside the bathroom, she handed it to the vet staff.
"I slipped her the note and that's when I slid my glasses off to show her I had a bruised eye so she would take me seriously," she said. "When we were waiting in the room and I knew the police were on the way, I was shaking and was trying to hide it by petting Max, my dog."
She said that she first saw an officer through the window. At the time, she had a sigh of relief. That was followed by fear over how Floyd might react.
"I wasn't sure if he'd shoot at the police, at me, at the dog, at himself. I was just afraid, but he just stood up and said, 'Search me,'" she recalled.
Officers were able to safely take Floyd into custody, along with his loaded handgun.
The victim said that she was thankful for the employees who got her the help she needed.
"The whole staff was just amazing. I didn't mean to put that on them, but they were there and they were heroes."
She told News 6 that she hopes her moment of bravery inspires others who are also in domestic violence situations.
"Never stop trying. And if you see abuse, it does escalate. It does escalate no matter what they say. It will get worse," she warned.
Anyone who is in a crisis can call Harbor House's 24-hour confidential hotline at 407-886-2856. You can also visit its website here for more information.