'Sadistic': Marrero man accused of raping, beating woman he locked in closet for 4 days

The 48-year-old woman suffered a brain bleed, broken ribs, black eyes, facial swelling and heavy bruising and cuts over her entire body, said Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson.

"I can only imagine every time you hear that closet door getting ready to open, the fear she was in, not knowing what was next," Lawson said. "It was a very brutal and sadistic event."

Gretna police arrested her alleged captor, Darryl Vinson, 57, of Marrero, and booked him on counts of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree rape, aggravated kidnapping, false imprisonment while armed with a weapon and possession of stolen property.

The ordeal began on the night of Jan. 25. Vinson and the woman had previously dated, but investigators are still trying to determine what triggered the alleged assault. But over the next four days, Vinson beat the woman and forced her to have sex, Lawson said, inflicting horrific injuries.

"What she went through over this period of time was unbelievable," Lawson said.

During the four days, there were no missing persons reports filed for the woman, according to authorities.

The woman was freed Friday evening after Vinson brought her with him on a trip to the store. While driving on Manhattan Boulevard in Harvey, a passing motorist saw Vinson hit her and dialed 911, police said.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office deputies arrested Vinson on outstanding attachments. The woman was taken to a hospital to be treated for her injuries.

Once away from Vinson, she confided in deputies about how she was injured. She was in stable condition Monday.

"Whoever the person is who called 911 saved this woman's life," Lawson said. "This was only going to escalate more. We might have had a homicide and not realized what was going on."

Vinson was being held without bail Monday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna.