A handwritten note left inside the restroom of a Jersey Mike’s sandwich shop in Santa Rosa County, Florida, led deputies to a woman who said she had been held against her will, beaten, isolated, and controlled for months, according to a video report from Police Prime using police footage and official records.
The video says the note was found on May 27, 2025, after a woman using the restroom left it near a toilet paper dispenser. Employees were alarmed enough to call law enforcement right away, and when deputies read the message, they treated it as a possible kidnapping case rather than a prank or misunderstanding.
That decision appears to have mattered. Within hours, officers were reviewing surveillance video, speaking with family members, preparing a search warrant, and planning how to approach the address listed in the note without putting the woman in greater danger.
The Note Made A Terrifying Claim
According to Police Prime, the note asked for help and named a woman identified as Relle, later referred to in the footage as Michelle. In the message, she said she was being kept in Navarre, Florida, against her will and asked that police be told not to approach the home unless her Hyundai Kona was in the driveway.
The note also claimed that the suspect’s parents would warn him and that he would hurt her and make them run in the car again if he found out.
The woman wrote that she wanted to get home to her children and family, and she specifically warned not to contact her social media because the suspect controlled her phone and would know. She also asked for help before May 30, making the message feel urgent and time-sensitive.
At the sandwich shop, an employee told deputies the woman had come in with a man while they appeared to be picking up a DoorDash order. The employee said the man had been pacing while the woman spent several minutes in the restroom, and that she seemed nervous and shaky.
The employee first thought the couple might have been high, but after seeing the note, the situation looked very different.
Deputies Took The Note Seriously
In the bodycam footage shown by Police Prime, deputies appeared to recognize quickly that the note was detailed enough to require immediate follow-up.
One officer said it looked real and noted that cases involving people held captive for long periods do happen. Another officer said they take this kind of report very seriously, while also acknowledging that if it were fake, there would be consequences for the person responsible.
Deputies asked for surveillance footage from the shop, hoping to confirm what the woman and the man looked like. When employees showed the footage, officers saw the woman walk in with blue hair, head quickly toward the restroom, and later leave with the man.
The way she moved stood out. One officer said it looked as if her full intent had been to get to that bathroom and leave something behind.
That small detail is what makes this case so chilling. A victim in a controlling situation may not have a phone, privacy, money, or a safe way to speak openly, so a restroom note can become the only possible escape route.
Family Members Described A Troubling History
Police Prime reports that the suspect was later identified as Jordan Williams, a 34-year-old pro wrestler who used the ring name Jaden Steel.
As investigators tried to understand the risk level, they spoke with people connected to Relle, including her ex-husband and her mother. Their accounts, as shown in the video, painted a disturbing picture of a relationship marked by alleged violence, threats, and control.
Relle’s ex-husband told officers that Williams had allegedly held her hostage before and had beaten her. He also said Williams had threatened to come after his children and described him as dangerous and unstable.
The woman’s mother told officers that Williams had been jailed before for domestic abuse involving Relle and said he controlled her phone, cut off contact with family, and kept her isolated.
Those calls appear to have strengthened the deputies’ concern that the note was not only real, but that approaching the house carelessly could make the situation worse. Officers discussed positioning units around the property in case someone tried to flee.
A Search Warrant Led Deputies To The Home
Early the next morning, after obtaining a search warrant, deputies went to the address listed in the note.
Bodycam footage shows officers announcing themselves at the door and ordering people out with their hands visible. The scene was tense, but deputies moved methodically, getting occupants outside and identifying who was inside the home.
When they located Relle, officers separated her from the others and made clear they were there because she had indicated she was being held against her will. One officer told the household that deputies were not there to search the entire home for no reason, but to make sure they had reached the woman they believed needed help.
That separation was a critical step. In abuse and captivity cases, victims may not be able to speak freely while the alleged abuser or his family is nearby, and the officers seemed aware of that from the start.
Relle Told Officers She Had Been Trying To Leave For Months
Once officers spoke with Relle away from the others, she said she and Williams had been together for about two years and that she had returned after a previous separation because he had allegedly threatened her children and their father.
She said she had hoped to “smooth everything over,” but when she returned, things did not go as planned and Williams would not let her leave.
According to the footage, Relle told officers she had been trying to get out of the house for about six months. Each time she told Williams she was leaving, she said, he beat her, slammed her to the ground, and kept her from going.
She also told deputies she had medical equipment in her head and a tumor, and that Williams had allegedly struck her head repeatedly despite her medical condition. She said one of her hands or arms was still healing after he fractured something.
The allegations became even more serious when she described an attempted escape in March. Relle said she snuck out while Williams’s parents were out of town, jumped a fence, and started running down a back road, only for Williams to drive after her in her own car, almost run her over, beat her, and force her back into the vehicle.
When an officer asked whether she considered that kidnapping, she said yes, because she had been trying to get away and had told him to let her go.
Williams Denied Putting His Hands On Her
Police then interviewed Williams, telling him Relle had made serious allegations that he had beaten her, controlled her movements, and held her captive.
Williams described the relationship as rocky and pointed to Relle’s medical and mental health issues, saying she had expired medications and was bipolar. When asked about photos showing injuries to her face, neck, and body, he denied causing them.
He told officers he did not put his hands on his girlfriend and suggested some injuries came from her being drunk, falling over, scratching herself, or causing harm to herself.
The officer pressed him repeatedly, asking how a boyfriend would not know who caused such serious injuries if he had not done it. Williams continued denying responsibility.
That exchange is familiar in many domestic violence investigations. The alleged victim gives a detailed account, the accused points to instability or self-inflicted injuries, and investigators have to sort through statements, photos, medical evidence, and witness accounts. In this case, officers decided they had enough to arrest him.
The Arrest And Charges
According to Police Prime, officers arrested Williams on a long list of charges, including kidnapping, false imprisonment, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery, battery by strangulation, and misdemeanor battery.
The video says Relle told officers she had been assaulted, threatened with weapons, and held in isolation for more than six months. Authorities observed injuries, including broken bones, and she was taken to the hospital before being discharged later that day.
Williams was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail on May 29, 2025, and ordered held without bond.
Police Prime reported that he pleaded not guilty on June 19, and that no verdict or plea deal had been publicly reported as of the video’s publication.
A Small Act That Opened A Door
What stands out most in this case is how narrow the window for rescue may have been.
The woman did not walk into the sandwich shop and ask for help out loud. She did not call police from a phone. She wrote a note, hid it in a restroom, and trusted that someone would find it, believe it, and act quickly enough to reach her.
The employees did exactly that. The deputies did not dismiss the message as strange, fake, or too complicated. They checked the cameras, verified the vehicle details, spoke with relatives, obtained a warrant, and went to the house.
Not every case with a note like this ends in rescue, but this one shows why people should take unusual pleas for help seriously. Sometimes a crumpled paper left in a public restroom is not a prank or a misunderstanding. Sometimes it is the only safe message a trapped person can send.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, John developed a love for the great outdoors early on. With years of experience as a wilderness guide, he’s navigated rugged terrains and unpredictable weather patterns. John is also an avid hunter and fisherman who believes in sustainable living. His focus on practical survival skills, from building shelters to purifying water, reflects his passion for preparedness. When he’s not out in the wild, you can find him sharing his knowledge through writing, hoping to inspire others to embrace self-reliance.
