HOUSTON – A man who met a woman on a dating website is accused of kidnapping the woman and assaulting her over the span of five days at an apartment complex in Spring, according to court documents.
Zachary Kent Mills, 21, has been charged with a first-degree felony of aggravated kidnapping.
Investigators learned that Mills and the woman started a romantic relationship after they met on Bumble. The woman told detectives that she agreed for Mills to pick her up from her apartment complex on Dec. 24.
After Mills picked her up, he drove her back to his apartment complex, located in the 8000 block of Augusta Pines, docs show.
According to court records, as soon as the woman entered his apartment, she said Mills tried to have sex with her. But when she denied his sexual advances, Mills begin punching her and bit her on the neck and face.
As the beating continued, docs show that Mills used a screwdriver handle to strike her when his hands got too tired from hitting her. The woman told investigators that she tried to leave but he would keep her inside of his residence and the assault continued. She said Mills did not give her food or water for the five days she was held captive and refused to let her leave.
According to court documents, the woman was able to escape the apartment after Mills left to go to his father’s home. She told investigators that she grabbed her clothes, ran out the door and asked for help from the first people she came in contact with.
Investigators said the woman was left with severe bruising to both eyes, bite marks and cuts to both her throat and nose, and severe bruising to the majority of her body.
Mills was arrested and booked into the Harris County Jail, where he posted a $50,000 bond.
Additional charges may be filed at a later time following further investigation, according to Harris County Pct. 4 Constable Mark Herman.
The dating app Bumble released the following statement in regard to the incident:
“We are shocked and saddened to hear about this horrible crime. We blocked this member as soon as we were made aware of this situation and in accordance with our Community Guidelines. We also have a dedicated law enforcement team available to respond to any requests from law enforcement as needed.
We are dedicated to building a community where our members feel safe to make connections and build meaningful relationships. Every member of our community is expected to adhere to our guidelines anytime they’re using Bumble. Any profile that violates our terms or guidelines may result in getting blocked from the app for good.”