On Tuesday, October 18, Lake Worth Police Officers received information from a concerned citizen that a woman was severely injured and being held against her will by her abuser. The entire criminal investigative division was mobilized to assist with the investigation.
The suspected abuser was identified as 27-year-old Dewitt Guice. The investigation uncovered that Guice is a habitual abuser. Guice, who was out of jail on bond with an ankle monitor, had previously been arrested by Fort Worth Police on March 22, 2022 for assault that causes bodily injury (family violence). Guice also had prior arrests for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as well as a conviction for assault causing bodily injury.
Using the data from Guice's ankle monitor, officers surrounded a hotel room in Fort Worth where the victim was being held. An hour and a half after receiving the initial call, officers entered the room and quickly took Guice into custody. The victim was helped from the room and received immediate medical treatment from paramedics. The victim was then transported to a local hospital where she is in stable condition.
"The injuries she sustained were the worst I've seen in my 19 years," said Lake Worth Police Chief J.T. Manoushagian, "based on her injuries, I don’t know how much more she could've taken".
Guice was arrested and is charged with assault causes bodily injury (family violence) with previous confiction, a third-degree felony, and unlawful restraint which is a class A misdemeanor.
"To the victims of domestic violence and the cowards who abuse - we're coming for you!", said Chief Manoushagian. "The men and women of the Lake Worth Police Department stand boldly with our community and leaders from across our county to say that we will not tolerate domestic violence in Lake Worth or Tarrant County."
If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic violence, you can contact the following resources:
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Call: 1-800-7997233, TTY: 1-800-787-3224
SafeHaven of Tarrant County
1-877-701-7233
One Safe Place
1-817-916-4323