A North Carolina man was trapped inside a totally dark padlocked storage unit for days, after his girlfriend locked him inside.
North Carolina man trapped for four days
He was only able to escape after four days, when he as able to find his phone, which was lost inside the jam-packed unit, and call the police.
Robin Deaton, 52, was taken into custody on February 27 and currently faces charges of attempted murder and kidnapping.
According to the Monroe Police Department, the unidentified man alleged that Deaton had lured him into a unit at Cooper Storage in Monroe on February 20.
The two were arguing outside the storage area when Deaton reportedly coaxed him into retrieving an item.
As he stepped inside, she allegedly yelled, “This is what you get!” and slammed the door behind him, locking it shut.
Left sealed inside the storage unit, the man endured complete darkness. It was only after four days, on February 24, that he was able to locate his phone and place the emergency call.
“I’ve been locked inside a storage unit for about a week now, and I just now found my phone,” the man told dispatchers, according to a recording obtained by WBTV.
He also stated, “My girlfriend double locked me in here,” and described his dire situation, saying he couldn’t breathe properly and had neither food nor water.
“I know there’s two locks on this. She put two locks on it for some reason,” he relayed in the call.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene and transported the man to a local hospital, where he was treated briefly for dehydration.
North Carolina man had no signal inside of unit
Monroe Police Lieutenant Morgan Malone explained that the unit was crammed full of items, which likely delayed the man’s ability to find his phone.
“The storage unit was described to me as being a hoarder’s paradise,” she stated.
When officers started to open the door, the mound of belongings began falling out. The further they opened the door, the more things came tumbling out.
The man claimed he had no cell signal inside the storage container, which severely limited his options for being rescued.
According to his report to dispatchers, he could only make emergency calls to 911, and his phone did not light up with any incoming alerts or calls in the meantime.
Following the rescue, police secured a warrant for Deaton, leading to her arrest on February 27 on charges of kidnapping and attempted murder.
She remains in custody at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center without bond.
Woman who locked daughter inside chicken coop found dead
Meanwhile, in a separate event in New Mexico, a woman recently accused of locking her child inside of a chicken coop died from gunshot wounds inside her home.
Patricia Madrid, a 36-year-old resident of Farmington, was discovered with gunshot injuries on February 26 after police were called to her residence early that morning.
Emergency responders provided medical assistance at the scene before transporting her to San Juan Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Authorities released limited details in connection to her death. However, surveillance footage shared by the Farmington Police Department did reveal a potential suspect.
The video showed an individual wearing a gray hoodie walking away from the scene towards a wooded area, while another image captured the figure riding a bike eastbound on Navajo Street near Lincoln Avenue shortly after the incident.
Madrid’s death occurred about a week after she faced legal troubles over accusations of child abuse.
On February 18, Madrid and Jammy Jackson, a 59-year-old man believed to be her partner, were taken into custody and booked into the San Juan County Detention Center on multiple felony charges.
These included child abuse and conspiracy related to allegations made by their 15-year-old daughter.
The teenager told investigators that her parents locked her inside a cold chicken coop, and restricted her bathroom use to just twice each day.
For meals, she reportedly received only ramen noodles while her siblings had free rein over other food.
The police investigation remains ongoing, though no mentions in their press release specifically tied these prior accusations to Madrid’s fatal shooting.
