Woman shares cautionary tale of being attacked while on a date

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    Atlanta, GA (WGCL) — The pandemic can be an isolating time, leaving many yearning for a connection.

Birttany Correri thought she found just that when she met a man online, but that love interest quickly turned into a dangerous liaison.

The memory and bruises of Correri’s first ever online date will haunt her for life.

“I had mace. He grabbed that, threw it out the car. It was just all happening so fast and unexpected, and he was so big and I didn’t stand a chance,” recalled Correri.

She says she met a man named Ben on the dating app Hinge last week. They went out Wednesday night and things were going smoothly, but towards the end of their date he violently attacked her.

“So we got in the car and with no warning, like I said we had such a great night laughing and just having a good time, he just started punching me into the side of my head,” said Correri. “I just felt like there wasn’t even a time to react because it was punch after punch.”

Correri says the man held her captive in his car while beating her, leaving both visible and invisible scars.

“That’s when he pulled a gun and I really thought that he was going to kill me and I was just tired of it at that point, so I was just like kill me.”

Investigators think Correri’s date drove her around in his white BMW for about an hour before they stopped at the Westside Provisions District in northwest Atlanta.

“As he’s dragging me and beating me in the street my angel security guard just came around capturing everything while coming to my aid,” she recalled.

Around 6:30 a.m. Atlanta Police were called after someone heard a woman screaming. Officers spoke with a female security guard on side who scared off the suspect.

Correri says her Ring camera was able to capture a picture of the man’s white BMW when he picked her up for the date. CBS46’s Astrid Martinez reached out the dating app Hinge, but has yet to hear back. Correri says she also reached out to the app.

Police say the suspect has been identified and an arrest warrant has been issued.

Correri’s attorney adds that during the attack the white male was yelling and using racial slurs towards Correri, meaning the incident may also be considered a hate crime.

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