Man found guilty of 2016 kidnapping, aggravated battery in Collier

A 22-year-old man could up face life in prison after being convicted of kidnapping, aggravated battery and tampering, the state attorney’s office said Wednesday.

Keyion Cordavion Linton was found guilty of kidnapping, aggravated battery with a firearm causing great harm and tampering with a witness, victim or informant after a two day trial in Collier County, according to the state attorney’s office.

The incident occurred in July 2016 between the victim, a 17-year-old boy, and Linton, the ex-boyfriend of the victim’s current girlfriend, the state attorney’s office said. The victim received a text message from his girlfriend asking him to meet with Linton, but Linton came to the victims home and looked through the victim’s text messages.

Linton then pulled a handgun on the victim and instructed him to walk toward a drugstore on Golden Gate Parkway, but a car pulled up and Linton made the victim get inside, according to the state attorney’s office. The car then traveled to an apartment complex on Airport-Pulling Road.

Linton forced the victim to walk to a park and went through his phone again, the state attorney’s office said. He pointed the gun at the victim’s face and forced him to walk toward a wooded area.

The victim refused, and he was shot in the shoulder, and the back, according to the state attorney’s office. He was then dragged into the wooded area and told he was going to die. Linton left to retrieve a knife and stabbed the victim in the throat.

A friend of Linton’s persuaded him to take the victim to the hospital, but Linton threatened the victim’s life if he were to tell police what happened.

Linton then took the victim to the hospital with a fabricated story of what had happened —which the victim corroborated, but came forward with the truth a few days later, according to the state attorney’s office. Linton was later arrested in Suwannee County. The victim survived his injuries.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 9.