TAMPA, Fla. — Deputies in Hillsborough County say a woman fought off and escaped a man after he attacked her at the gym at her Tampa apartment complex.
On Jan. 22, Nashali Alma, 24, was exercising alone before she opened the door and let Xavier Thomas-Jones, 25, into the gym at Inwood Park Apartment Complex because he was someone that she'd seen in the gym before, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
When Alma went back to working out, Thomas-Jones walked up to her and then tried to grab her wrist, but Alma yelled and told him to get away from her, law enforcement says. Thomas-Jones then chased her around the gym, video shows.
The 25-year-old grabbed Alma and pinned her to the gym floor, a surveillance video shows, but she continued to fight him off while trying to call 911.
"He grabbed me and I'm like 'heck no, it's game time," Alma told 10 Tampa Bay. "I took my phone and I smashed his head and punched him. I knew I had the strength, I knew I could fight and I wasn't going to let this man win at all."
After some time, Thomas-Jones let go of Alma and then she immediately ran out of the gym to a close apartment, authorities say.
After Alma's experience, she is now encouraging other women who find themselves in similar situations to fight with everything they have.
"Always fight, never stop fighting, because where there's a will, there's a chance you'll get out of the situation. Just don't give up," said Alma.
She is also encouraging those who experience similar situations to speak out and report it to the police.
"It’s better to reach out to law enforcement sooner than later. The sooner they have the information, the sooner they can catch that person."
Deputies say after they arrived at the apartment complex to investigate the assault, they were able to locate Thomas-Jones and arrest him in less than 24 hours after when the incident occurred.
"I was disgusted by the suspect’s actions, how he preyed on this young woman,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. "I'm grateful that she came forward, I know her story is going to be an inspiration to other women."
Thomas-Jones was charged with sexual battery, false imprisonment and kidnapping.
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