SOUTH DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Volusia County investigators believe a woman is in danger and they have no idea where she is. What they do know is that she made a frantic call to 9-1-1 and, they believe, she's with a man who has a very dangerous past.

South Daytona Beach investigators say the man they are looking for just got out of prison in December. He's had a long history of violent crimes, including assaulting elderly people. Now police believe he may have kidnapped his girlfriend and she could be in danger.

"He could very well kill her," said Nan Wuest.

Wuest believes her friend Dawn Smith, 34, is in danger after police say Smith made a frantic 9-1-1 call to police on Sunday.

"She said she was tied up and bound," commented Det. Anthony Carfango, South Daytona Beach Police.

Police say Smith told police she was with her boyfriend, 31-year-old David Herskind, and she needed help. During the call, her boyfriend got on the phone with police and then started to beat her. Finally, the phone went dead.

That's when investigators started searching.

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According to police, Herskind got out of prison in December for armed robbery. He met Smith and moved in with her in South Daytona Beach. Police went there and no one was home.

Smith's work supervisor told authorities she hadn't been to work for days and it was unusual for Smith to miss any work.

Smith's friends fear the worst. They say Herskind allegedly made death threats to several people.

"He began calling and leaving death threats on our phone. 'I am Satan, I am the taker of life, I am the giver of life.' He made threats of how he was going to dismember me," said Wuest.

Officers don't have any idea where Smith may be. They say Herskind is schizophrenic and could be linked to other violent crimes in Central Florida.

Smith's friends say they hope police find Herksind soon, because it may be the difference between life and death.

Police say Herskind is armed with a gun. Officers believe the two are in a four-door, light green 1999 Dodge Neon with the tag number V15 PKY. If you have seen Smith or Herskind, call Crimestoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS.