JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The State Attorney's Office has upgraded charges against Joshua David Thompson, the Jacksonville man accused of brutally beating his girlfriend after taking her captive.
Thompson, 23, now faces felony charges of attempted first-degree murder, sexual battery and false imprisonment in the case, according to a search of online court records.
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He entered a not guilty plea to the three charges during an arraignment Tuesday.
The charges stem from a complaint filed by the victim, a 22-year-old mother of two who shares a child with Thompson, who was hospitalized last month with a range of injuries.
The victim said she and Thompson were at his home April 3 when an argument over her fidelity broke out. She said things escalated when he punched her in the face and barred her from leaving.
The next day, she said, Thompson was smoking crack when the beating resumed. She said he repeatedly punched her in the face and then kicked and stomped her as she lay on the ground.
At some point, she escaped and got a neighbor to call police.
The beating was so severe the victim suffered a broken rib that punctured her kidney, among other injuries. Physicians had to perform emergency surgery to stop the internal bleeding.
Court records show Thompson remains in custody at the Duval County jail in lieu of $150,000 bail.
His next court hearing is June 19.