AKRON, Ohio (Court TV) — An Ohio man accused of kidnapping a woman and holding her captive for days in a garage pleaded guilty moments before jury selection was set to begin in his trial.
William Mozingo appears in court Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Court TV)
William Mozingo, Jr. was charged with kidnapping, felonious assault, abduction and strangulation for an attack on 23-year-old Chloe Jones, who was rescued by police from an Akron garage. Police responded to the home on Oct. 16, 2023, where they found Jones inside the garage with serious physical injuries. After her rescue, relatives said she suffered facial fractures, broken bones and a brain bleed.
On Tuesday, Mozingo pleaded guilty to the charges, including an escape charge in another case. Judge Susan Baker Ross sentenced him to 25 to 31 and a half years in prison.
Police said Mozingo, who knew Jones, offered to drive her home before kidnapping her.
Her mother, Jessi Barham, described the attack to Scripps News Cleveland: “He doused her in gasoline and was threatening to catch her on fire.” Barham said Mozingo also beat Jones with a baseball bat, hit her with his fists, and “would cuddle her in between beatings.”
Jones had been missing for four days before she was found. Bodycamera video showed police officers helping her down from what looked like a hole in the roof. While Mozingo was being taken away in handcuffs, he could be heard saying, “I love you, Chloe.”
Court records reviewed by Court TV reveal two previous convictions for kidnapping, assault, and menacing in Stark County, as well as a conviction on drug charges in Summit County.
