A Scioto County jury has found a West Portsmouth man guilty of kidnapping and felonious assault after prosecutors said he brutally beat his girlfriend inside a moving car before pushing her from the vehicle along a rural highway.
Following a three-day trial, Leo Cassidy, 46, was convicted of one count of kidnapping and two counts of felonious assault.
Judge Howard H. Harcha III immediately sentenced Cassidy to 18 to 20½ years in prison.
🚨 WOMAN FOUND GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR FOR HELP
The case began around 1:30 a.m. on January 3, 2025, when Adams County deputies received multiple 911 calls reporting a badly injured woman seeking help from homes along State Route 125 near Blue Creek.
When deputies arrived, they found a 39-year-old Scioto County woman suffering from severe facial injuries.
Investigators said the woman initially refused to identify herself or her attacker out of fear.
She later told authorities that Cassidy, her boyfriend at the time, had assaulted her while she was riding in his Nissan Altima.
According to investigators, she escaped by getting out of the vehicle while it was still moving.
🏥 LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES
The victim was taken to Southern Ohio Medical Center before being transferred to Grant Medical Center in Columbus because of the seriousness of her injuries.
Medical records showed she suffered:
- A brain bleed (subdural hematoma)
- A fractured and dislocated jaw
- A black eye swollen shut
- Extensive road rash injuries to her legs and knees
🕵️ MANHUNT LASTED MONTHS
The investigation was led by Scioto County Sheriff’s Detective Donald Tackett-Dye, who now serves with the Portsmouth Police Department.
During the investigation, Cassidy admitted to detectives that he struck the woman while they were traveling on State Route 125 but claimed he acted in self-defense.
Detectives noted that Cassidy stood approximately 6-foot-4 and weighed nearly 300 pounds, while the victim was significantly smaller.
Rather than surrendering, Cassidy spent months evading law enforcement.
Authorities say the search eventually involved the U.S. Marshals Service.
🚓 CHASE ENDS WITH VIOLENT ARREST
Cassidy’s run from the law ended in June 2025 after a lengthy pursuit involving Pike County authorities.
According to prosecutors, Cassidy fought officers during the arrest, kicking one deputy in the face and spitting blood on another.
Police ultimately used pepper spray and Tasers before taking him into custody.
Even after his arrest, Cassidy continued claiming he acted in self-defense and alleged the victim had threatened him with a knife.
Investigators noted the only person found with injuries consistent with a knife wound was the victim.
⚖️ JURY REJECTS SELF-DEFENSE CLAIM
After hearing testimony from 14 prosecution witnesses and several defense witnesses, jurors rejected Cassidy’s version of events.
The jury found that Cassidy restrained the victim’s liberty for the purpose of terrorizing or seriously harming her, supporting the kidnapping conviction.
Jurors also found him guilty of two separate felonious assaults.
🔒 REPEAT VIOLENT OFFENDER
At sentencing, Judge Harcha classified Cassidy as a repeat violent offender and noted that he committed the crimes while on parole.
The judge imposed a prison sentence of 18 to 20½ years.
Cassidy still faces separate felony charges in Pike County stemming from the chase and assault on officers during his arrest.
⚠️ PROSECUTOR WARNS OF GROWING TREND
Scioto County Prosecutor Shane Tieman called Cassidy a “violent career felon” and said the lengthy sentence protects both the public and law enforcement officers.
Tieman also noted that several recent cases in Southern Ohio have involved what investigators call “rolling domestics” — domestic violence incidents that occur inside moving vehicles.
Those cases, he said, have consistently resulted in significant prison sentences.
🚗 WHAT IS A “ROLLING DOMESTIC”?
Law enforcement uses the term “rolling domestic” to describe domestic violence that occurs inside a moving vehicle.
These cases are particularly dangerous because victims have limited ability to escape, may be miles from help, and can suffer catastrophic injuries if they are pushed from or forced out of a moving vehicle.
In this case, prosecutors argued that is exactly what happened.
A Scioto County jury agreed.
