Justin Born
8/29/2021- 5:58 p.m.
A city man has been accused of assaulting a woman while holding her captive in his apartment for days, police said.
Justin Born, 23, faces kidnapping, unlawful restraint, assault, strangulation and other charges in connection with a series of events that occurred last month, police said.
According to Born’s arrest warrant affidavit, Middletown police said they found the 22-year-old woman, who had been reported missing by a family member, on Liberty Street on July 21.
Justin Born, 23, faces kidnapping, unlawful restraint, assault, strangulation and other charges in connection with a series of events that occurred last month, police said.
According to Born’s arrest warrant affidavit, Middletown police said they found the 22-year-old woman, who had been reported missing by a family member, on Liberty Street on July 21.
The victim said she escaped Born’s apartment, but he found her soon afterward and “dragged her back,” the warrant said. Police noted the victim had several cuts on her wrist where she said Born grabbed her, the warrant stated.
When they returned to his apartment, the woman said Born held her down on a bed, hit her in the head with a cellphone and pushed her down when she tried to sit up, the warrant stated.
He then head-butted the woman, cutting her face and causing her to bleed, the warrant stated.
When the woman was not eating the next day, Born became angry and choked her, squeezing her windpipe “for a long period of time,” the warrant said.
The victim told officers Born also pulled her hair back and bit her ear, the warrant said.
The woman told police she and Born walked around downtown that day and he pulled out a “double-sided” knife when he realized she was trying to ask people for help, the warrant stated. The woman said Born held the knife to her rib cage, and said he would “stick her right now,” according to the warrant.
The woman said she was later able to escape after lying about contacting the police, the warrant stated.
“She stated that this scared Born and he was not so demanding and abusive towards her,” the warrant stated.
The woman said Born left the apartment and did not return because she believed he feared police were looking for him, the warrant stated.
Born was charged with second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, third-degree assault, second-degree threatening and second-degree strangulation following the incident.
He is being held in lieu of a $100,000 bond, and is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court at Middletown Oct. 5.
