CLEVELAND, OH – An Ohio man is behind bars after admitting to the kidnapping and violent assault of a woman, subsequently confining her in a plastic storage container. Dalontay R. Edmond-Geiger, who pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including kidnapping, is serving a prison sentence of 16 to 20 years following a chilling ordeal that left court officials stunned.

During a May 3 interrogation, Edmond-Geiger portrayed himself as a confidential informant and confessed to binding, beating, and sealing the woman in what authorities identified as a “box.” Despite acknowledging his violent actions, he insisted there was more to his story, claiming his intent was never lethal.

“If I wanted to kill her, she would’ve been dead,” Edmond-Geiger asserted repeatedly, attempting to rationalize his actions by saying he provided care such as food and showers. “But I just could not let her go back on the streets, and tell everybody that I was working for y’all. I couldn’t,” he claimed, referencing purported work with law enforcement.

Throughout the interrogation, he also described surviving previous life-threatening situations and unpromptedly displayed scars to officers. His statements alternated between an almost boastful tone and defensive insistence on his alleged innocence regarding more severe intentions.

Body camera footage from the day before his arrest shows Edmond-Geiger resisting police attempts to investigate the basement of his residence after reports emerged of a woman being trapped there.

Officers were met with obstinance and a request to turn off their body cameras. When the police returned with a search warrant, they discovered the woman sealed in the container beneath a porch.

Court documents detail that Edmond-Geiger physically assaulted the victim, zip-tying her and transporting her between rooms to mislead officers during their search. The woman, considered fortunate to survive the harrowing experience, was eventually freed by police.

At his sentencing, Common Pleas Court Judge Hollie Lauren Gallagher expressed disbelief at the severity of the crime. With nearly two decades on the bench, she remarked on the unprecedented nature of the case, stating she had never encountered an offense of such magnitude despite handling numerous kidnapping and assault cases.

The victim has survived the ordeal, but the impact of the traumatic experience has left an indelible mark on all parties involved, highlighting a disturbing chapter in Cleveland’s recent history.