BEDFORD — An 18-year-old Bedford man was arrested early Saturday morning after an anonymous witness reported what appeared to be an ongoing abduction in progress, uncovering a violent domestic assault outside a local office building.
Riley Benjamin Girdley, 18, was taken into custody on June 20, 2026, by the Bedford Police Department. According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Officer Michael Bell, Girdley faces a preliminary charge of domestic battery, a misdemeanor.
The incident began at approximately 12:20 a.m. when Bedford Police dispatch received an emergency call from a citizen who reported seeing a male attempting to abduct a female near the parking lot of 1614 L Street.
Officer Bell arrived on the scene and located the witness, who explained she had stepped outside her nearby residence to smoke a cigarette when she heard a male and female screaming. In a recorded voluntary statement, the witness reported seeing the male throw the woman to the ground, climb on top of her during a “loud scuffle,” and later hold her outside a vehicle while grabbing her by the throat. The witness noted the woman’s screams sounded muffled during the struggle.
While Officer Bell interviewed the witness, responding officers located a 2010 blue Ford Fusion parked on the east side of the building. Inside were Girdley and the female victim. Officers separated the two to conduct interviews.
According to court documents, the female initially claimed the altercation was strictly verbal. However, her demeanor changed, and she became visibly upset when informed that an independent witness had observed the fight.
The female then detailed a harrowing sequence of events to investigators, explaining that the conflict escalated while she was driving:
- Vehicle Interference: The female attempted to park the car on the west side of the building, but Girdley reached over from the passenger seat, grabbed the steering wheel, and forced the vehicle to the east side of the property.
- Physical Assault: After they exited the vehicle to argue, Girdley allegedly grabbed the female and threw her headfirst into the front passenger seat. The female scrambled into the driver’s seat to prevent Girdley from taking the wheel, prompting him to grab her clothing and drag her back out of the car.
- The Ground Struggle: Girdley grabbed her by the head, and a struggle ensued that left the female on the ground, though she told police she could not recall exactly how she was taken down.
- The Head-Butt: After Girdley pulled her back up, he allegedly pinned her against the vehicle, grabbed her by the shoulders, and head-butted her directly in the left cheek and eye area. Davis reported falling to the ground a second time because she felt like she was going to lose consciousness.
The female told police that Girdley put her back into the vehicle just before officers arrived. She added that her glasses and a nose piercing were broken during the struggle, and noted that Girdley had also punched her earlier in the evening.
When questioned by police, Girdley was read his Miranda rights and agreed to speak to officers. He maintained that the argument was strictly verbal and denied any physical violence, claiming the only time he touched the female was to help her into the car “because she was hot.”
Officers took photographs of the physical evidence at the scene, noting injuries on both parties:
- Female’s Injuries: Visible redness and swelling to her left cheek and eye area, cuts and abrasions on her left hand, cuts and abrasions on the top of her right foot, and severe facial pain.
- Girdley’s Injuries: Abrasions to his right arm and wrist.
The female signed a domestic battery affidavit and a medical release form at the scene. Girdley was arrested on-site, transported to the Lawrence County Jail, and remanded to the custody of the Lawrence County Sheriff.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
