Screams from a Van: 911 Caller Leads Deputies to Kidnapping Rescue on US-27

David Benjamin Ritchie / PCSO

911 Call Reporting Screams Leads to Kidnapping Arrest of Wanted Lake County Man

By Staff Reporter

iSkyNews.com (ISN) – Published April 29th, 2026

DAVENPORT, FL – A 44-year-old Clermont man with a violent history of outstanding warrants is behind bars after a witness reported hearing a woman’s screams coming from the back of a moving van Tuesday morning.

The incident began at approximately 6:41 AM on April 28, 2026, when the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call. The caller reported hearing screams coming from a white Ford van traveling on US 27 near Sand Mine Road in Davenport. Crucially, the witness was able to provide the van’s tag number to dispatchers.

A PCSO deputy located the vehicle shortly after at a fire station located at 50945 US 27. Upon arrival, the deputy found the suspect, identified as David Benjamin Ritchie, standing outside the van. Inside the vehicle, a woman—identified as an adult relative of Ritchie—could still be heard screaming.

The victim told investigators that while she had initially spent the night in the van willingly, the situation turned violent when she woke up. She alleged that Ritchie refused to let her leave or take her home, and threatened to "give her a black eye" when she attempted to get out.

Following his arrest, deputies discovered that Ritchie was already a wanted man. He had active arrest warrants out of Lake County for several severe violent offenses, including:

Battery by Strangulation
Aggravated Battery on a Pregnant Woman
Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon

Ritchie was transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center and now faces new charges in Polk County:

Kidnapping (First-Degree Felony)
Assault (Second-Degree Misdemeanor)

The victim’s identity is being withheld in accordance with privacy laws regarding domestic and familial violence. Ritchie remains in custody as he awaits proceedings for both his new charges and his outstanding warrants.

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