Crime
Dakota Sebring Seeks Justice After Surviving Severe Domestic Violence By Ex-Boyfriend Dalton Ridgeway-Williams
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A Springfield woman is fighting for accountability after surviving a brutal domestic assault that nearly claimed her life.
Dakota Sebring, who turned 24 in March 2025, says her birthday became a night of terror when she was violently attacked by her ex-boyfriend of five years, Dalton Ridgeway-Williams.
Sebring reports that the assault lasted more than an hour and involved repeated strangulation, beatings, and psychological intimidation — violence she believed she would not survive.
Although she escaped and filed a police report, she says Dalton has since violated the resulting order of protection 19 times while on pretrial release, yet has served only about 60 days in jail.
Sebring states she now lives in fear, taking every possible measure to ensure her safety, yet increasingly frustrated that “a piece of paper” cannot stop someone determined to disregard the law.
Sebring had spent her birthday evening out with friends when Dalton allegedly appeared at several of the same establishments, grabbing her and issuing verbal threats.
After multiple encounters — behavior that she describes as consistent with the cycle of abuse — she eventually agreed to meet him at his residence, hoping to de-escalate the situation through conversation.
According to Sebring, Dalton began recording her upon entry, accusing her of breaking into his home but refusing to call law enforcement.
What followed, she says, was a prolonged and violent assault.
She reports being:
- Beaten and dragged inside and outside the home
- Strangled multiple times, to the point of near unconsciousness
- Humiliated, threatened, and restrained
She ultimately escaped long enough to call 911.
Dalton fled before officers arrived and turned himself in approximately two weeks later.
He was charged with aggravated domestic battery, domestic battery, and unlawful restraint, though the restraint charge was later dismissed.
Despite the severity of the case, Sebring says Dalton repeatedly violated the court-issued protection order.
Documentation includes allegations that he:
- Contacted her directly
- Used his mother as an intermediary to reach her
- Illegally accessed her financial accounts and her vehicle
- Posted threatening and harassing messages on Facebook
— including telling her to “find a safe place to spend Thanksgiving”
Each violation, according to Sebring, resulted in minimal sanctions — often just hours or days in custody.
Sebring has been granted a two-year order of protection, but she reports that Dalton continues to post about her online, a direct violation of the court’s directives.
His upcoming court hearings largely pertain to his unrelated Class X felony drug case, and Sebring fears that her domestic violence case may simply become a bargaining chip in a plea agreement rather than a priority deserving full prosecution.
She questions why a life-threatening assault is treated as less serious than the drug charges and why repeated violations of protective orders do not carry stronger consequences.
Sebring has submitted extensive evidence — including video recordings, text messages, photographs, surveillance footage, and police documentation — and hopes the justice system will finally intervene meaningfully.
She emphasizes that she remains at risk so long as Dalton continues to face minimal repercussions.
Despite the trauma she endured, Sebring recently completed nursing school and is preparing to graduate, determined to move forward with her life.
In addition to the alleged violations of the protection order, Dalton has a prior criminal history.
In 2024, he was arrested after authorities reportedly found:
- 23 pounds of marijuana
- Three firearms
- Three pounds of THC wax
- $44,477 in cash
He was charged with being an armed habitual criminal, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, delivery of more than 5,000 grams of marijuana, and armed violence.
Orlando, Fla. — Family and friends of 33-year-old Julien Emmanuel Cruz are seeking answers and accountability following his fatal shooting outside a popular LGBTQ+ nightclub early Sunday morning.
According to the Orlando Police Department, officers responded at approximately 2:31 a.m. on February 22, 2026, to the 1900 block of North Orange Avenue, just north of Lake Ivanhoe, in reference to a reported shooting.
Upon arrival, officers located Cruz suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Authorities confirmed Cruz was born May 18, 1992.
Detectives determined that prior to the shooting, Cruz and the suspect were involved in a verbal and physical altercation on the sidewalk outside the nightclub district. Investigators say that during the dispute, the suspect retrieved a firearm from his vehicle and shot Cruz.
The suspect fled the scene in a vehicle, which patrol officers later located in the 200 block of East New Hampshire Avenue, approximately two blocks from where the shooting occurred.
Police subsequently arrested 37-year-old Jean Gabriel Borja Gil De La Madr (DOB: October 29, 1988). He has been charged with Second Degree Murder with a Firearm. Authorities confirmed this case marks the third homicide in Orlando in 2026.
Cruz’s father, Anthony Cruz, said his son and his partner had been at Savoy Orlando enjoying the evening before the violence unfolded.
According to the family, as the couple exited the club after closing time, a vehicle sped past them. Cruz’s partner allegedly yelled toward the occupants of the vehicle, prompting the car to stop. A physical altercation then reportedly began between Cruz’s partner and one of the individuals from the vehicle.
“When they fought, my son saw that was happening. My son went to intervene, and when he intervened, another guy got out of the car, and he got shot,” Anthony Cruz said. “My son didn’t deserve what happened. All I have left is a shirt — a shirt with a bullet hole.”
While police have charged Borja Gil De La Madr, Cruz’s family maintains that another individual may have been directly responsible for pulling the trigger. Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether additional suspects are being sought.
A small memorial has formed across from the nightclub, where members of the community have gathered to honor Cruz’s memory.
Joshua Cooper, owner of Savoy Orlando, said the tragedy has deeply impacted the LGBTQ+ community, even though the shooting occurred off the club’s property.
“I didn’t know the victim, but from everything I’ve been told, I wish I had,” Cooper said. “He seemed like a great kid. Seeing a family that is so heartbroken and so supportive of this community says so much.”
The Orlando Police Department has not released additional information regarding potential additional suspects. Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the altercation and shooting.
Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Orlando Police Department or Crimeline.
The investigation remains active.