A 31-year-old Columbus man is facing rape and strangulation charges after police say he beat his girlfriend, set her hair on fire, and later tracked her to Riverside Methodist Hospital through a phone notification, triggering a lockdown at the facility. Mohamed Wisman was booked into the Franklin County jail early Tuesday morning on charges of rape and three counts of strangulation stemming from an attack police say began at the woman's Olentangy West apartment.
According to NBC4 WCMH-TV, police say Wisman punched his girlfriend, beat her with a broomstick, and strangled her until she lost consciousness on August 16. Officers say the woman did not attempt to fight Wisman off during the assault. Per a court affidavit cited by the station, the woman said she was beaten and sexually assaulted inside her apartment in the Olentangy West area of Columbus before Wisman allegedly lit her hair on fire and raped her.
Suspect Allegedly Tracked Victim's Hospital Visit
After the attack, police say Wisman took the woman's phone and left in her car, while she walked herself and her dog to Riverside Methodist Hospital seeking treatment. Investigators say Wisman then learned she was at the hospital through a MyChart patient notification that appeared on her phone, prompting Columbus police to be called to the hospital over an assault claim. Police say Wisman also turned off location tracking on the phone and threatened to harm members of the woman's family.
The moment illustrates a broader pattern researchers have flagged in domestic violence cases. A study summary published by the National Network to End Domestic Violence found that 97 percent of domestic violence programs nationwide reported abusers using technology, including location-tracking apps and hijacked mobile devices, to monitor or harass victims.
Charges Carry Steep Penalties Under Ohio Law
Wisman was booked under Booking ID 0414100 on charges of rape under Ohio Revised Code 2907.02 and strangulation of a family or pregnant victim under ORC 2903.18(B)(3), according to a booking report shared on Facebook. Rape is classified as a first-degree felony in Ohio, carrying a mandatory prison term of three to 11 years for adult victims and fines up to $20,000, and state law does not require a victim to prove physical resistance to establish force or threat of force, per VanHo Law.
The strangulation statute itself is relatively new. Ohio Revised Code Section 2903.18 was created when Senate Bill 288 took effect in April 2023, making Ohio the last state in the country to establish non-fatal strangulation as a standalone felony, according to Luftman, Heck & Associates. The law allows prosecutors to bring felony charges for impeding breathing or blood flow even when no visible external injuries are present.
The stakes behind that legal shift are significant. National research published by the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention found that an intimate partner violence survivor who experiences non-fatal strangulation is 750 percent more likely to later become a victim of attempted or completed homicide by the same partner, according to the SAFE Alliance.
Dog Also Allegedly Abused During Assault
Police say Wisman also abused the woman's dog during the incident. The dog was taken to a veterinarian the following morning, though the extent of its injuries remains unknown. Arrest warrants were issued for Wisman following the investigation, and he faces multiple charges related to the alleged rape and abuse of his girlfriend, per the station's report. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for last Friday.
Hospital's Scale and Recent Security Concerns
OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, located at 3535 Olentangy River Road, is a 1,059-bed teaching hospital and Level II trauma center that logs more than 84,000 emergency department visits a year, making it OhioHealth's largest facility, according to Hoodline. The lockdown adds to a string of recent safety incidents at the same hospital campus: just days earlier, a hospital patient transporter was arrested and charged with gross sexual imposition after allegedly assaulting a patient inside her room on August 16.
The Olentangy River Road corridor, which links the Ohio State University campus area to northern Franklin County, has seen increased joint crime interdiction patrols following repeated violent incidents along the route. Franklin County has also seen other major lockdown responses this month, including a full evacuation of Sharon Woods Metro Park after an officer-involved shooting on August 16.
Resources for Domestic Violence Survivors
The 24/7 Franklin County Domestic Violence Hotline, reachable at 614-224-4663, transitioned operation in March from Lutheran Social Services' LSS CHOICES program to The Center for Family Safety and Healing at Nationwide Children's Hospital, streamlining emergency shelter, legal advocacy, and crisis intake across Central Ohio. It remains unclear whether additional charges, such as those related to the dog's treatment or the taking of the woman's car and phone, will be presented to a Franklin County grand jury as the case moves forward.
