She asked for a ride to her Bellingham hotel, but he allegedly took her to his place

The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday arrested a 21-year-old Bellingham man who allegedly took a woman he met at a bar to his trailer against her will and beat her.

Gerron Keith Syvertson was booked into Whatcom County Jail on suspicion of first-degree kidnapping and fourth-degree assault and is being held on $75,000 bail.

According to information provided by Whatcom County Sheriff’s Chief Criminal Deputy Doug Chadwick, Syvertson met a woman at the Underground night club in Bellingham at approximately 2 a.m. Friday, before they decided to drive to Whatcom Falls Park to hang out in his car.

The woman reportedly asked for a ride to her hotel room, and Syvertson agreed, but Chadwick said she noticed he was not driving in the right direction. The woman asked where they were going, and he said they were going to “his place.” According to Chadwick, the woman refused several times, felt that she could not safely get out of the car, feared for her safety and began texting friends for help.

Chadwick said Syvertson took the woman to his trailer in the 500 block of E. Laurel Road, and the woman didn’t not know where she was. She continued to text friends and sent her GPS location to them, but they could not locate her. Syvertson and the woman reportedly stayed in the trailer for approximately three hours, and the woman felt she couldn’t leave because Syvertson was with her.

The woman fell asleep, but Chadwick said she woke up to Syvertson “grabbing her shoulder and pinning her down forcefully.” He reportedly punched her in the face and body for 10 to 15 minutes and told the woman, “If you are going to be my girl, you’re gonna have to learn how to fight,” and “I like a girl that fights back.”

The victim told deputies that Syverston suddenly stopped assaulting her and reportedly acted like the assault hadn’t happened. He then drove her back to her hotel and reportedly apologized to her.

Chadwick said the woman had numerous bruises and cuts on her face, arms, legs and back from the reported attack.

Syvertson was located and arrested at his residence on Saturday evening.

The date of the alleged crime was corrected on Aug. 14, 2018.

This story was originally published August 13, 2018 at 2:43 PM.