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Woman held against her will by truck driver for 8 months escapes at local truck stop, police say

COCOA, Fla. — It was at a Cocoa truck stop off State road 524 on Saturday where a woman said her eight-month ordeal finally ended.

That’s when the victim told police that her eight-month ordeal finally came to an end after 53-year-old Robert Johnson fell asleep and left his cellphone within reach.

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At that point, the suspect let her go.

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The victim told investigators when she met Johnson in Delaware, she was looking for business as a prostitute. She told police she got into his truck to take him to buy drugs.

A couple of hours later, the victim asked to go home. She was told that she didn’t have a home then was hit hard enough to knock out one of her front teeth.

“She said she was under constant threat from beatings, sexual assault, gun to her head, constant threats,” said Yvonne Martinez with Cocoa Police Department. “She began to accept that was her fate.”

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According to investigators, the suspect told them his relationship with the victim was consensual. However, a child who saw the victim said was used to keep tabs on her told police she’d witnessed abuse.

Martinez said the child may have been victimized as well, and the FBI will be getting involved because of the multi-jurisdictional aspects of the case.

The child is now in the custody of the Department of Children and Families, and the adult is in a shelter.

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Adam Poulisse, WFTV.com

Adam Poulisse joined WFTV in November 2019.