A 26-year-old Largo man is facing kidnapping and false imprisonment charges after police say he confronted his girlfriend at a gas station, snatched her phone mid-call, and drove her back to the apartment they shared against her will. Joshua Sandman appeared next to the woman around 8:38 a.m. Tuesday at a 7-Eleven on Ulmerton Road in Largo, according to an arrest affidavit, after she had been driving back from Sarasota and stopped at the station.
The woman told Sandman she did not want to go with him and that he could take the car, but he picked her up and placed her in the passenger seat anyway, according to the affidavit cited by 10 Tampa Bay. She had been calling a friend and planning to stay at that friend's house, but Sandman snatched the phone from her hands and hung up on the call, then pocketed the device and kept it. He reportedly told the friend to stay out of their business before driving the woman to the apartment the two shared, where Largo police say he prevented her from leaving.
Largo police described the pair as being in a domestic relationship. Sandman gave investigators a different account of events, telling them he drove the woman home because she was drinking in his car and that she got out of the vehicle and back in on her own, the outlet reports. He is also accused of battering the woman, according to the affidavit.
Five Felony Counts Filed
Online jail records indicate Sandman is being charged with five separate offenses. Those include kidnapping with intent to inflict bodily harm upon or terrorize the victim or another person, a first-degree felony that under Florida Statute § 787.01 carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. He also faces false imprisonment, a third-degree felony under Florida Statute § 787.02 punishable by up to five years in state prison, which requires proof of unlawful restraint without necessarily proving intent to cause bodily harm.
The remaining charges include robbery by sudden snatching, tampering with a witness, victim, or informant, and battery. Under Florida Statute § 812.131, taking property directly from a victim's person while she is aware it is happening qualifies as felony robbery even without a weapon, which explains why grabbing the woman's phone at the gas station resulted in that charge rather than simple theft. The witness tampering count, filed under Florida Statute § 914.22, covers using force, intimidation, or coercion to prevent someone from communicating with law enforcement or withholding testimony — a charge commonly triggered in Florida when a domestic partner is cut off from a phone call during an alleged offense.
Suspect Gave Conflicting Statements
Sandman reportedly declined to speak during one police interview and asked for an attorney during another, according to the affidavit. His account that the woman had been drinking and exited the car voluntarily stands in contrast to the version detailed by investigators, who allege he physically prevented her from leaving the apartment once they arrived.
Business records show Sandman is listed as manager of Sandman355 LLC, a book sales business registered in neighboring Pinellas Park since May 2025, according to a Better Business Bureau profile. The dossier does not indicate any prior high-profile criminal history for Sandman in local reporting.
Part of a Wider Pattern in Largo
This is not the first domestic violence case to draw police attention in Largo this year. Hoodline previously reported on a bloody attack in June, when 29-year-old Anthony Jarrod Bell was arrested at Seminole Square Apartments on charges of attempted felony murder, kidnapping, and false imprisonment after bystanders helped lower children from a second-story window during the incident. In April, a 61-year-old woman was arrested and charged with felony elder battery following a co-habitating dispute over eviction that turned physical.
Pinellas County consistently ranks among the top counties in Florida for reported domestic violence cases, according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, which reports that local shelter provider CASA serves more than 3,000 families annually through its 100-bed facility. Largo Police Department maintains a dedicated Victim Advocate service, reachable at 727-587-6730, which coordinates with the Sixth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office to provide safety planning and crisis support for domestic violence victims.
Defendants booked into the Pinellas County Jail on domestic violence allegations typically undergo specialized pre-trial release reviews, which can include Supervised Release on Recognizance and mandatory no-contact orders pending trial, per the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. It remains unclear whether Sandman's bond status has been finalized, whether the State Attorney's Office has made a formal charging decision, or whether the woman has sought a civil injunction for protection.
