Early morning screams from the back of a white van on U.S. 27 turned into a kidnapping and assault arrest after a 911 caller flagged down Polk County deputies and sent them straight to a nearby fire station.
Deputies arrested a 44-year-old Clermont man on April 28, 2026, after finding an adult woman, identified as a relative, in the back of the van. She told investigators she had gone with him voluntarily the night before, but later was not allowed to leave, according to details released by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and subsequent local coverage.
How Deputies Tracked the Van
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, a 911 call came in around 6:41 a.m. reporting screams from a white van traveling along U.S. 27. The caller provided the vehicle’s tag number, which allowed deputies to track it to a fire station at 50945 US 27 in the Davenport area.
When a deputy arrived, he found a man standing outside a white Ford van while a woman inside could be heard screaming, according to the sheriff’s office news release. The man was detained at the scene.
Victim's Account and Charges
As reported by West Orlando News, the woman told investigators she had spent the night with 44-year-old David Benjamin Ritchie, whom she knew, but that he later refused to take her home or let her get out of the van. She also said he threatened to give her a black eye.
Ritchie was taken to the sheriff's processing center and booked on kidnapping and assault charges, according to the outlet's summary of the case.
Warrants and Custody
The Polk County Sheriff's Office states that Ritchie also had active warrants out of Lake County for battery by strangulation, aggravated battery on a pregnant woman, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was transported to the Sheriff's Processing Center after his arrest and remains in Polk County custody, according to the department.
Authorities have asked anyone with additional information on the case to contact the sheriff's office, as noted in the agency's release.
Legal Notes
Under Florida law, kidnapping is classified as a first-degree felony and can carry a possible prison term of up to life in the most serious cases, according to the state statute. The definition and penalties for kidnapping are outlined by the Florida Senate.
Prosecutors in Polk and Lake counties will determine whether to pursue any additional charges as their respective investigations move forward.
Timeline and Local Coverage
The sheriff's office first released information about the arrest in late April. The case resurfaced in local headlines when West Orlando News published a May 31 article that echoed the department's account, noting the role of the 911 caller who provided the van's tag number and highlighting Ritchie's outstanding Lake County warrants.
