Get notified by email when this case is updated.
Written by: K. Bishop
Published January 30, 2023 @ 9:07 AM ET
Chatham County (January 15, 2023) – Southside police responded to a woman locked inside a storage unit after her boyfriend allegedly beat her. A friend of the woman called 911 after receiving a disturbing call from the victim saying she was locked in some type of container by her abusive boyfriend, Freddie Lee Lambert, 60, and had sustained severe injuries. Police were able to ping the woman’s cell phone, which led them to Ark Self Storage on White Bluff Road.
According to reports, police again pinged the captive woman’s cell phone once at the self-storage facility. They knocked on doors searching for the woman before locating the unit belonging to Lambert. Officers heard a voice that appeared to come from within the storage unit. They used bolt cutters to break the lock and found that the unit appeared to be used for living quarters and was stocked with essentials. They found a sofa, table, clothing, toiletries, food, and cleaning supplies. The victim was not inside the unit.
The woman’s cell phone pinged several more times near the storage facility before it was pinged at a Volvo dealership, where the victim’s sister told police the victim cleaned. Officers located the couple in the victim’s black Chevy Cobalt and called EMS for the victim, who was suffering from apparent injuries. Lambert was arrested on an outstanding warrant for an assault and probation violation from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.
When asked about the incident, Lambert denied beating the victim and locking her in the storage unit. He gave officers a timeline of events, listing gas stations and businesses he and the victim visited on Friday and Saturday. They reportedly napped in the car at an Enmarket and outside of the storage facility in between cleaning a church on Tybee Island and cleaning businesses in Savannah.
The woman reportedly worked a shift at another job between the cleanings with Lambert. He told officers they argued Friday afternoon, and the victim stuck her feet out of the car and tried to get out while he pulled her back inside. He said he could not recall other events of the day beyond visiting gas stations.
The victim was taken to Candler Hospital to be treated for her injuries. Lambert was charged with multiple felonies, including aggravated assault, battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping, theft, and a probation violation. He was booked into the Chatham County Detention Center. Lambert’s bond was denied. He is due before Judge Huffman on March 14.
Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]
On 01/15/23 at 0921 hours, I responded to the area of 14 East 73rd Street in reference to a check subject call. Call details advised that the complainant was called by her friend, [VICTIM #1], who told her that she was locked in some kind of container by an abusive boyfriend. The phone company (Sprint/Tmobile) had pinged [VICTIM #1]’s phone number, [REDACTED] to the area of the address mentioned previously. There is no longer any business/residence that comes back to 14 East 73rd Street.
Once in the area I contacted the complainant, [WITNESS #1], via phone. She advised that her friend [VICTIM #1] had called her this morning at 0809, 0812, and 0814 hours. While speaking to [VICTIM #1] briefly she told [WITNESS #1] that she was inside of a storage container and could see a nearby hotel. [VICTIM #1] was unsure where exactly she was located.
She also told [WITNESS #1] that her boyfriend, Freddie, had beaten her badly and she sustained severe injuries to her person. [WITNESS #1] advised that when [VICTIM #1] was speaking she was doing so very softly and sounded upset. [VICTIM #1] told her that she did not want to get the police involved. [WITNESS #1] provided me with the phone number for [VICTIM #1]’s sister, [WITNESS #2] who could possibly provide more information.
I contacted [WITNESS #2] via phone. [WITNESS #2] advised that her sister has an abusive boyfriend named Freddie Lambert and that the two have a child together. She advised that Lambert has a history of domestic violence against [VICTIM #1]. [VICTIM #1] has a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt that Lambert drives. [WITNESS #2] provided a description of [VICTIM #1] and three phone numbers that [VICTIM #1] uses. [WITNESS #2] advised that [VICTIM #1]’s work is with the Jani King cleaning company.
Dispatch sent me a message advising of a prior call for service on 01/13/22 at 1655 hours for the Ark Self Storage at 5514 White Bluff Road involving two subjects that were arguing in a black Chevrolet Cobalt. The call was cleared unfounded as the Cobalt had left the property and went in an unknown direction. CPL Tuttle and I made our way to Ark Self Storage. The Extended Stay America hotel runs adjacent to the storage property on its east side.
We knocked on closed storage container doors on the northern most end closet to East 73rd Street, trying to determine if [VICTIM #1] may be inside one of the units. We were unable to find anything of note through those means. I then contacted the manager of the property, [REDACTED]. [REDACTED] had made the 911 call on the 13th. I asked [REDACTED] if Lambert had a storage container on the property and she advised D-30.
CPL Tuttle and I made our way to D-30 and began knocking and listening for any response. We also called out “[VICTIM #1]” many times. Both of us heard what sounded like a person’s voice inside but were unable to make out what was being said. We continued knocking and listening for several minutes. We continued to hear a voice briefly every now and again. I attempted to call all three of [VICTIM #1]’s phone numbers given to me by [WITNESS #2]. Each number went straight to voicemail.
Supervisors were notified on the incident. SGT Moore and SGT Balmer responded. LT Bevil also responded. Based on the circumstances of a possibly battered person being held in a storage unit and a voice being heard at the unit owned by the suspect, as well as the possible victim’s cell phone pinging in the area, we made the decision to force entry into the unit.
SGT Balmer was able to break the lock on the unit using bolt cutters. No persons were found inside the unit. Inside gave the impression that someone could have been staying there. There was a sofa, table, clothing items, cleaning items, toilet paper, food, and such like scattered inside the unit. No phone was able to be seen inside the unit. I found Uhaul paperwork for a rented vehicle from November of 2022 with [VICTIM #1]’s name.
The voice that was heard earlier was found to be a male inside of a nearby storage unit. As we were at the Ark Self Storage several call updates came out. At 1047 hours the phone was still pinged to the same area. At 1104 hours the phone was still pinged to the same area. At 1116 hours it was still in the same area. At 1127 hours the phone was pinged to the area of White Bluff Road and Abercorn Street.
CPL Tuttle and I checked [100 BLOCK] Alpine Drive as it is listed as a prior address of [VICTIM #1]. There we made contact with her sister, [REDACTED], who informed us of various places where [VICTIM #1] cleans. She made mention of the Volvo dealership. At that exact moment, we were notified by dispatch that [VICTIM #1]’s phone was being pinged at the Volvo dealership at 8301 White Bluff Road.
SGT Balmer arrived to the location first and advised he was out with the black Chevrolet Cobalt (SC: [REDACTED]) and two subjects, a male and a female. CPL Tuttle arrived on scene, then SGT Moore and I shortly after. The male identified himself as Freddie Lambert, handing SGT Balmer his Georgia ID. His appearance also matched a photograph from his previous arrest in Chatham County.
I then placed Lambert under arrest for an aggravated assault probation violation warrant that he had out of the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office (WNO: CR162178J3). I placed Lambert in handcuffs that I then double-locked. I searched Lambert incident to arrest finding no items of evidentiary value. He was then placed in the rear of my police vehicle.
CPL Tuttle spoke with [VICTIM #1] on the events leading up to today. EMS was called for and arrived on scene to tend to [VICTIM #1]’s injuries. EMS transported [VICTIM #1] to Candler Hospital. I contacted [WITNESS #2] to make her aware of [VICTIM #1]’s whereabouts and her overall status. The warrant was confirmed through SPD Records.
I advised Lambert of his constitutional rights. He decided to speak with me. Lambert provided a timeline of the events that occurred from Friday afternoon to this morning. He advised that on Friday when they were driving to Ark Self Storage, he and [VICTIM #1] got into an argument. [VICTIM #1] wanted to get out of the car and opened the door and began sticking her feet outside. Lambert was pulling on her arm to keep her inside.
The two continued arguing at the storage facility, where they were for a couple minutes before leaving. Lambert advised that the rest of the day they went to several gas stations. He was unsure about anything else that happened that day. Lambert advised on Saturday they went to a church they clean on Tybee Island around 1200 hours.
Shortly after, [VICTIM #1] began getting ready for her job at Family Dollar on Ogeechee Road. Lambert drove [VICTIM #1] to her job where she worked a shift of 1430 to 2130 hours. He picked her up around 2300 hours and they went back to the church on Tybee Island to finish cleaning. Once they left they went to the Enmarket on Victory Drive at around 0200 hours on Sunday morning.
They remained inside the car and slept for a little while. They left and went to the American Health Imaging building at 30 Janet Drive to clean there. They then went to Ark Self Storage at around 0600 hours. Lambert parked in front of his storage unit and went to sleep. He advised that [VICTIM #1] woke him up around 0930 hours and they left to go clean at nearby Savannah Blinds at 5500 White Bluff Road.
Once finished there, Lambert advised that [VICTIM #1] drove them to the Volvo dealership where they came in contact with police. Lambert advised that other than the argument they had on Friday, there were no further arguments, nor was there any physical violence between he and [VICTIM #1]. I transported Lambert to SPD Headquarters at 201 Habersham Street where he was to be interviewed.
Once interviewed by Family Violence Unit Detective CPL Aiken, I transported him to the Chatham County Detention Center where he was booked on the following charges:
OCGA 16-5-21: Aggravated Assault DVA (F)
OCGA 16-5-23.1: Battery DVA (F)
OCGA 16-5-41: False Imprisonment DVA (F)
OCGA 16-5-40: Kidnapping DVA (F)
OCGA 16-8-2: Theft By Taking DVA (M)
CCSO Probation Violation Aggravated Assault Warrant (F)
[End of Narrative]
Get notified by email when this case is updated.