Man charged with beating, kidnapping woman was caught on camera, Miami Springs Police say

The Miami Springs Police Department has charged a man after they say he beat a woman and prevented her from getting away to safety.

The department said on Friday that the woman's phone inadvertently triggered an emergency alert, starting a phone call on an open line with dispatchers. The department said the dispatchers heard the woman screaming, "Stop hitting me", prompting police to locate the scene. Officers arrived and said they found the woman with visible injuries on her face and body, and in obvious distress.

Miami Springs Police said road patrol officers were able to find surveillance footage showing the suspect, identified as Andre Lopez, trying to prevent her from leaving his car. The video, shared on Instagram by the department, shows that while she was able to get out of the car, Lopez then chased her, assaulted her, and forcibly pushed her back into the car.

The department said Lopez then drove to a nearby hotel, where the woman was able to get away and was found by responding officers.

Miami Springs Police said they took Lopez into custody in less than five hours.

The department noted that while the incident didn't happen in a residential neighborhood in Miami Springs, it still unfolded within the Miami Springs Police jurisdiction.