PENSACOLA, FL – A Florida couple faces a litany of charges, including attempted murder, after a chilling kidnapping and attempted murder plot unfolded following a date arranged on Facebook. Natalie Fonseca, 25, and Nafis Reynolds, 31, were arrested in connection with the near-fatal incident that occurred on October 7. The victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, miraculously survived the horrifying ordeal.
According to authorities and an arrest report, the victim had connected with Fonseca on Facebook, initially agreeing to a dinner date. During their unorthodox encounter, Fonseca introduced Reynolds as her “uncle.” Subsequently, the trio embarked on a journey that took a sinister turn as Fonseca and Reynolds attacked the man, menacingly informing him of his impending demise.
The victim was robbed of his belongings, including his shoes, phone, money, and car keys. In a terrifying sequence of events, they took turns cutting his throat before callously throwing him over the rail of the Escambia River bridge. Abandoning the victim’s car, they set it ablaze and fled the scene.
To their astonishment, the victim survived the fall from the bridge and the grievous injuries sustained during the attack. In a remarkable display of resilience, he swam to a nearby patch of land, where he collapsed from exhaustion. A vigilant boater discovered him the following morning and brought him to safety.
Despite severe injuries, the victim managed to reach a Cumberland Farms parking lot on foot, where he caught the attention of a patrolling sheriff’s deputy. The deputy found him barefoot, covered in dried blood, and bearing deep cuts on his neck. The victim, primarily Spanish-speaking, conveyed through Google Translate that he had been subjected to a brutal assault, robbery, and the harrowing plunge into the river.
After receiving medical treatment and surgery at Sacred Heart Hospital, the victim provided investigators with details of his encounter with Fonseca, which had commenced just five days before the nightmarish incident. He had initially offered to help Fonseca, who claimed to be in dire need of cash and food.
Law enforcement officers subsequently located Fonseca’s residence, familiar from a previous disturbance call in September. Surveillance footage from a store further confirmed Fonseca and Reynolds as the suspects in the attack.
On Monday, the couple was apprehended in Ensley, and both were found to be in possession of fentanyl. Fonseca’s bond was set at $852,000, while Reynolds faces a bond of $851,000.