NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — She survived a brutal domestic attack, and now, just a week later, she's speaking, hoping to give other women strength.
It takes a good deal of courage to speak just days after a vicious attack. But for Lorin Perger, silence isn't an option.
She wants people to know what happened and what they can do.
"We need more protection for women," says Perger. "Women don't report because they know the system will fail them and the perp doesn't get the sentencing they deserve."
Perger is determined that does not happen in the case of her accused attacker, Ross Peterson.
After briefly dating, she ended the relationship. Then last Saturday, Metro police say Peterson went to Perger's Nashville home, and she told him to leave. The Ring camera audio captures his response.
"If you go to the —— cops for no legitimate reason when I've never been threatening before to you ... guess what? I'm going to —— you up before the cops get here."
Perger says Peterson then attacked her. There was a pool of blood in the carport.
"He grabbed my hair and started smashing my face into the driveway," said Perger.
When asked if she thought Peterson wanted to kill her, Perger said, "Yes, yeah...When he was strangling me and looking into my eyes, it was like something I've never seen before in my life. It felt very dark and sinister. I don't think he wanted me to live at all."
Perger says she started to scream and Peterson took off.
He was arrested four days later in Arkansas and is charged with aggravated assault.
"I hope he is not given bond. He is a flight risk, violent and he does not have a lot left to lose. That would scare you. Absolutely, yeah. "
Under the law, Peterson is entitled to bond, but nothing stops a judge from setting it very high.
And there is talk that the charge against him could be upgraded to attempted murder.
Before his arrest, Peterson posted on social media that the charges against him are false. He'll get his day in court.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nick.beres@newschannel5.com
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