An Akron man has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term following his guilty plea on charges that included kidnapping and assault. William Mozingo, 34, faced Judge Susan Baker Ross in the Summit County Common Pleas Court yesterday and was given a 25 to 30.5-year sentence, as reported by WKYC. Mozingo's crimes included the kidnapping and brutal beating of a 23-year-old woman, whom police discovered in a garage after a concerned resident alerted authorities.
The victim, Chloe Jones, was found with severe injuries indicative of prolonged abuse. Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich, in a statement obtained by WKYC, said, "William Monzingo’s criminal history has proven that the streets are safer when he is behind bars." Mozingo's guilty plea included two counts of kidnapping, five counts of felonious assault, one count of abduction, and one count of strangulation, in addition to an escape charge from a separate incident where he fled a community corrections facility.
Details of the abduction emerged when Mozingo was arrested on October 16, 2023. According to a news release from Kolkovich's office, a 911 call led police to a garage in southwest Akron where Jones was discovered seriously injured. Her ordeal involved being held captive for four days by Mozingo, who had a prior history of violent crime. A report by Cleveland19 included an account of Jones being beaten with a baseball bat and suffering a skull fracture.
In a harrowing recount to FOX8 News, Jones described her experience, saying, "It was terrifying, being in fear of your life countless times. I can’t even count how many times he threatened my life." The same report noted that Mozingo, already on Ohio’s Violent Crime Registry due to prior convictions, must register with the local sheriff annually for ten years upon any potential release from prison."
Further investigation by Akron PD is ongoing to unravel the full circumstances that led to the victim's confinement in Mozingo's garage. The swift response of the police helped to mitigate further harm befalling the victim, as they were able to intercept and put an end to the disturbing sequence of events. Kolkovich, through various statements covered by local news outlets, expressed gratitude that the victim's life was spared and emphasized his support for a sentence that would facilitate healing and a measure of peace for her.
