Plea on restroom wall leads to trucker's arrest

Katina Shaddix talks to CNN on Wednesday about what she says was a six-month ordeal.

DUBLIN, Georgia (CNN) -- A woman who was rescued Saturday after a maintenance worker found her plea for help on a women's restroom stall told police she had been trying for six months to escape the truck driver accused of beating her and holding her captive, and had left numerous messages in bathrooms.

Police found Katina Shaddix, 24, in a truck along Interstate 16 in Laurens County, Georgia, about 50 miles east of Macon, said Sgt. Gerald Frazier of the Laurens County Sheriff's Department. She remained hospitalized Tuesday with fractured ribs, numerous bruises and a possible cracked pelvis.

The driver, Shannon E. Jones, 26, was charged with aggravated assault and was expected to be charged with kidnapping Wednesday.

Shaddix's plea for help, left on the wall of a restroom along Interstate 75 in McMinn County, Tennessee, was found by maintenance worker Binford Aycock, who alerted police. Using information in her message identifying the truck, augmented with a satellite global positioning system, authorities were able to track the truck to Laurens County -- about 300 miles from where the message was left.

Shannon Jones is seen in this Laurens County, Georgia, Sheriff's Office photo taken Saturday.

Two deputies found Shaddix in the truck Saturday and took Jones into custody, Frazier said. He had made no statements to the police Tuesday afternoon, Frazier said.

At first, Shaddix told police, she and Jones were friends, and they began traveling together about a year ago, Frazier said. But about six months ago, when she decided she wanted to leave, he refused to let her go, Frazier said.

The only time Jones would leave her alone was when she went to the bathroom, Shaddix told officers. She left numerous messages asking for help in restrooms as the pair traveled, Frazier said.

--CNN Correspondent Gary Tuchman contributed to this report.