Jermaine Preston
A man charged with beating up a female escort at Camp Jordan Park in East Ridge said he dragged her out of his truck after deciding "I'm not that kind of person."
The woman involved said Jermaine Preston, 24, of 1400 North Chamberlain Ave., began hitting her in the head with a cell phone and strangling her.
Preston is charged with aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, possession of a firearm while in the commission of a dangerous felony, aggravated sexual battery and patronizing prostitution.
In the incident early Wednesday morning, a caller said she was injured and needed EMS. She said she had been assaulted by a man in a truck who had a gun.
East Ridge Police said they stopped a truck that was driven by Preston. He said of the female, "I'll be honest with you that person is an escort."
He said, "I don't know why. I just felt a little down and wanted to have sex with somebody." He said he had found her on the Skip the Games website.
Preston said they got into a little argument and he kinda threw her out "because he knew it wasn't right and he wanted to leave."
He said he grabbed her leg and arm to pull her out of the truck.
Police found a black Taurus handgun in the vehicle.
The woman said she works as an escort and met Preston for "a car date." She said she got into his truck at the gravelly part of the park.
Preston asked her if she wanted to get in the back seat. After she did, she said he walked around the truck, hit her in the head with the gun and began to choke her.
She said he then let her go and began to be nice again, but then would attack her all over again.
The escort said Preston told her, "You can get out. I'm not this kind of person."
Police said the woman had blood coming from both of her arms, redness on her neck and gravel in her hair and arms.