1 charged, 2 sought in Floyd County kidnapping, rape

A Cartersville man faces several felonies after police said he kidnapped a woman from a Floyd County hotel last month and raped her at a trailer park. Authorities are still searching for two other suspects in the case.

A Cartersville man faces several felonies after police said he kidnapped a woman from a Floyd County hotel last month and raped her at a trailer park. Authorities are still searching for two other suspects in the case.

A Cartersville man faces several felonies after police said he kidnapped a woman from a Floyd County hotel last month and raped her at a trailer park.

Two more suspects, a man and woman, are sought in the case after authorities said they tied up the 20-year-old woman, beat her and kept her in the closet of the mobile home, according to an incident report.

According to Floyd County police, the woman was abducted July 24 after being forced into a car outside the Sunrise Inn and Suites on Martha Berry Boulevard. Investigators said she was kidnapped by 37-year-old James Joshua Perez and Jose Velasquez Jr.

Perez then reportedly took the woman to the trailer park along Rockmart Road in Silver Creek, where he, Velasquez and 35-year-old Jennifer Swanson tied her up and beat her, according to the report. The victim and her alleged attackers all knew each other, Floyd County police Sgt. Chris Fincher said Thursday.

Perez is accused of raping the woman while keeping her in the trailer. She was also punched and attacked with a knife while being held against her will, according to police.

Authorities said the woman was released after her boyfriend’s mother found out about the kidnapping, went to the trailer park and confronted Velasquez and Perez. She eventually entered the home and found the 20-year-old in the closet, according to the report.

After locating the woman, authorities said she chased the three suspects on Rockmart Road, but eventually stopped after calling 911 and being instructed to wait for police. When officers arrived, they noted the victim was badly beaten and that her left eye was swollen shut, according to the report.

Perez was jailed Tuesday on charges of rape, kidnapping, aggravated assault and false imprisonment after authorities arrested him in South Georgia. He is being held without bond at the Floyd County Jail, online records show. Police said they are still searching for Velasquez and Swanson.

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