JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville man accused of second-degree attempted murder and kidnapping was sentenced Thursday to 50 years in prison.
Eric Bridges Jr. pleaded guilty to the charges after he was accused of severely beating a man, then tying him to the bumper of a minivan and dragging him for two blocks. Bridges then cut him off the bumper and left him for dead.
On Sept. 27, 2019, members of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to the Brentwood area to find the man in life-threatening condition.
Surveillance and an eyewitness revealed Bridges tied the victim up behind the vehicle and dragged him for nearly ¼ mile in an incident that began at a nearby apartment complex. The witness said the victim was found on nearby Pearce Street still bound and suffering from severe injuries that still affect him to this day.
Bridges was later arrested but initially denied involvement.
The victim was wheeled into the courtroom on Thursday for the sentencing hearing. It was the first time he has left the rehabilitation center since the crime happened. The family asked News4JAX not to release his name.
Bridges’ defense noted his troubling childhood and argued his background should reduce his sentence. The defense suggested a 20-year sentence for the attack.
The judge called the attack “true torture” and said the heinousness of the crime far outweighed Bridges’ past.