A beating, handcuffs and being locked in a basement was punishment for this theft

A Tacoma man was beaten and held against his will after allegedly stealing from his roommate, court documents show.

Several people were drawn out of their homes Wednesday by the sounds of a struggle. They saw a man straddling another man, who was pinned between a fence and the ground and screaming in pain.

When the man on top saw neighbors watching, he explained that the victim stole from him and police were on the way. He then allegedly punched the victim repeatedly, put him in an arm bar and forced him into a truck.

A neighbor called 911.

Police were able to find the suspect’s house by running the license plate number on his truck.

Shortly after officers arrived, the alleged attacker and his girlfriend came out of the home with the victim, who was restrained with plastic handcuffs.

He suffered severe bruising on his face and neck, as well as a dislocated arm and cuts on his nose.

The alleged attacker was arrested and on Thursday pleaded not guilty to second-degree assault and unlawful imprisonment.

He is being held on $50,000 bail.

The victim told police he’d been living with the couple for two months and suspected them of stealing his cell phone. Because of that, he stole an “electronic device” and left the house on his bicycle, according to charging papers.

The man chased after him and knocked him off the bike before neighbors heard the scuffle.

After forcing the victim into a truck, the man allegedly took him to their home and locked him in the basement while he checked a home security video for other possibly stolen items.

The victim appeared shaken up and confused.

He told police, “They love me, they would never hurt me,” records show.

This story was originally published August 10, 2018 at 1:36 PM.