Florida man charged with beating pregnant girlfriend, attempted murder of police officer amid chase: officials
Ronnie Bridges Jr. (Photo credit: Orange County Corrections)
APOPKA, Fla. - A Mount Dora man is behind bars for violently beating his pregnant girlfriend and then leading police on a dangerous, high-speed chase in Apopka, authorities said.
Ronnie Bridges Jr., 33, was arrested Friday, Oct. 27, on multiple charges including aggravated battery on a pregnant victim and attempted second-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, Orange County jail records show. The latter charge stems from him attempting to crash into a police officer head-on during the chase, authorities said.
Shortly before midnight on Oct. 16, Apopka police officers responded to a McDonald's located at 233 East Main Street after receiving several 911 calls reporting a crash, a disturbance and a battery between a man and a woman, according to an arrest warrant.
Authorities said Bridges chased after the victim – his 8-month pregnant girlfriend – as she drove her car into the restaurant's parking lot and then intentionally rammed his car into the driver's side of her vehicle.
He reportedly got out of his vehicle and struck the woman multiple times, but after noticing he was being watched by a crowd of bystanders, he got back into his car and sped off.
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An officer spotted Bridges' car at Ocoee Apopka Road and Marden Road and tried to perform a traffic stop but Bridges kept going, police said.
A police chase began as the suspect dangerously drove at a high rate of speed, running stop signs, turning off his headlights and traveling on the wrong side of the road.
At one point during the 6-mile pursuit, police said Bridges made a U-turn and began driving his car head-on towards one of the Apopka police officers, causing the officer to take evasive action to avoid a crash.
The suspect reportedly caused a crash between two Apopka police vehicles and damage to a third.
Bridges continued to flee and an on-duty watch commander made the decision to call off the chase.
FOX 35 News is working to learn how they were able to later find and arrest Bridges.
Bridges was recently released from a state prison back in June and was out on bond for failing to register as a sex offender when the incident happened, the warrant stated.
His criminal history includes 17 felony arrests, nine misdemeanor arrests and two domestic battery arrests, officials said.