The Pensacola couple charged with throwing a man off the Escambia River Bridge after robbing him and taking turns cutting his throat both took plea deals Sept. 16 instead of going to trial.
Nafis Reynolds and Natalie Fonseca were arrested and charged in October 2023 with attempted first-degree premeditated murder, kidnapping, robbery with a firearm, carjacking with a deadly weapon, arson and tampering with evidence after they lured a man into their vehicle to rob and kill him.
For their murder, kidnap, robbery and carjacking charges, both were sentenced 30 years on each count. On the final two charges, they were sentenced to just under 19 years in prison.
Circuit Judge Linda Nobles ordered that their sentences run concurrent with one another, meaning they will only serve 30 years total. Both have 695 days of jail credit which will decrease their total time served.
What happened to the victim?
According to court records, the victim first met Fonseca on Facebook and they began messaging each other. On Oct. 6 Fonseca told the victim she wanted food, so he brought her tacos at the Xpress Mart on Olive Road. The following day she messaged him again asking him to come over to her house.
When the victim arrived, Fonseca and Reynolds got into the victim’s car and Reynolds showed a firearm, according to court records. The three of them then drove to Fonseca’s “uncle’s” house with beer and wine and began to eat.
“Victim was ready to leave and got back into the vehicle, the female was driving and (Reynolds) got into the victim’s vehicle and began punching victim,” the arrest report states. “Victim remembers the female telling him that they were going to take him to a place and take everything from him, kill him and throw him in the water.”
After they reached Escambia River bridge, Fonseca and Reynolds began beating the victim and taking turns cutting his throat with a knife. Reynolds then threw the victim off the bridge.
The victim swam to an embankment and passed out from exhaustion until the next morning when a boater woke him and drove him to land. From there, the victim walked to the nearby Cumberland gas station where he found an Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy and was transported to the hospital.
He survived after spending multiple days at Sacred Heart Hospital and undergoing surgery.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola couple who cut man’s throat and threw him over Escambia bridge take plea deals
Reporting by Benjamin Johnson, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
