Written by: E. George
Published January 19, 2024 @ 8:45 PM ET
Warning: The following story contains information regarding physical and sexual violence.
FLOYD COUNTY, Ga. – On Wednesday, January 3, 2024, Rome Police officers arrested 47-year-old Alpharetta man Darren Ross Donow after a hotel night shift clerk reported suspected domestic abuse. At approximately 2:23 AM, the clerk of the Rome Country Inn and Suites told the responding officers that he observed a man and woman exit the elevator, and “the female was severely bruised and was having trouble speaking.”
He said, “She appeared to be paranoid and very upset.” The male walked back into the elevator and returned to a room while the female sat in the lobby.
The officers approached the 35-year-old victim and noted that she “had numerous noticeable and large bruises covering her upper body and face, substantial swelling on her face and around her eyes, and cuts on her body.” She had “trouble talking and was stuttering.”
She “kept staring off into the distance, and every time there was an audible noise, [she] would jump up in her chair and begin crying.” She stated that she had been “stuck in the hotel room for at least three days.”
She explained that “her boyfriend (later identified as Mr. Darren Donow) had trapped her in their hotel room and had been beating her repeatedly.” He struck and kicked her “with his fists and feet during the three days.” When asked about weapons, she said he possessed a knife.
