A man from Mount Dora is in custody for violently assaulting his pregnant girlfriend and then leading police on a dangerous, high-speed chase in Apopka, according to authorities.
Orange County jail records indicate that Ronnie Bridges Jr., 33, was arrested on Friday, October 27, on various charges, including aggravated battery on a pregnant victim and attempted second-degree murder of a law enforcement officer.
The latter charge is related to his attempt to collide head-on with a police officer during the pursuit, authorities stated.
Around midnight on October 16, Apopka police responded to a McDonald’s at 233 East Main Street after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a collision, a disturbance, and an assault between a man and a woman, as per an arrest warrant.
Authorities reported that Bridges pursued the victim, who was his eight-month pregnant girlfriend, as she drove into the restaurant’s parking lot and deliberately crashed his car into the driver’s side of her vehicle.
Reportedly, he exited his vehicle and repeatedly struck the woman. However, upon realizing he was being observed by a crowd of onlookers, he returned to his car and sped away.
An officer spotted Bridges’ car at the intersection of Ocoee Apopka Road and Marden Road and attempted a traffic stop, but Bridges continued to drive, according to the police.
A high-speed pursuit ensued as the suspect recklessly drove, running stop signs, turning off his headlights, and driving on the wrong side of the road.
At one point during the six-mile pursuit, police stated that Bridges executed a U-turn and drove his car directly towards one of the Apopka police officers, causing the officer to take evasive action to avoid a collision.
The suspect reportedly caused a collision involving two Apopka police vehicles and damage to a third.
Bridges persisted in evading capture, prompting an on-duty watch commander to make the decision to terminate the pursuit.
According to the warrant, Bridges was recently released from state prison in June and was out on bond for failing to register as a sex offender at the time of the incident.
Officials reported that his criminal record includes 17 felony arrests, nine misdemeanor arrests, and two arrests for domestic battery.
