Alleged Central Georgia Tech kidnapper sentenced to prison

A man accused of abducting his ex-girlfriend from a Central Georgia Technical School parking lot last September was banned Tuesday from returning to Bibb, Crawford and Peach counties after he serves three years in prison.

David Chase Warnock, 26, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault stemming from his choking then-24-year-old Alyssa Armstrong during a Sept. 28 argument about the couple's relationship.

A Bibb County Superior Court judge sentenced him to 12 years, three of them in prison. He also must attend anger management classes and is prohibited from contacting Armstrong or her family. An additional charge of kidnapping was dismissed as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Catherine Whitworth, Warnock's lawyer, said her client moved from Dublin to Macon to be with Armstrong.

He plans to live with family in Dublin after he's released from prison, she said.

"He wants to move forward with his life," Whitworth said.

Warnock has suffered from substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder from childhood trauma, she said.

Speaking to the judge before his sentence was announced, Warnock said, "I just want to get help."

Prosecutor Nancy Scott Malcor said Warnock and Armstrong dated for a year, living together off and on, and broke up in late September after Armstrong realized that he'd become possessive and controlling.

On the night of Sept. 28, Armstrong agreed to meet Warnock in a parking lot on Tom Hill Sr. Boulevard in north Macon, Malcor said.

While there, Armstrong got into Warnock's car and he drove her to a gas station off the Ocmulgee East Boulevard exit from Interstate 16.

Parked on the side of the store, they talked about their relationship and Armstrong said they couldn't be together, Malcor said.

Warnock "suddenly snapped" and choked her, she said.

Malcor said the assault was the first time Warnock had been physically violent with Armstrong.

She reassured him that they could be together and he drove her back to her car, Malcor said.

Although Armstrong confided in a couple people about what had happened, no one called the police.

Then, on Sept. 30, Warnock showed up at Central Georgia Technical School where Armstrong was a student.

Armstrong and a female friend were sitting in the friend's car when Warnock walked up.

She agreed to go to his van, despite telling her friend, "please don't leave me alone with him," Malcor said.

With Armstrong in the van, Warnock sped off, leading law enforcement on a chase that ended after he'd driven to the Atlanta area. His sister called and said police were looking for him.

Warnock agreed to pull over in Locust Grove, Malcor said.

While in the car, Warnock pleaded with Armstrong to reconcile their relationship and she convinced him everything would be alright, she said.

Malcor said Armstrong and Warnock continued to talk on the phone after Warnock was arrested.

Armstrong used a "burner phone" so she could talk to him without her parents knowing, she said.

Warnock placed calls using another inmate's name, Malcor said.

At some point, Armstrong realized "it was a very detrimental relationship" and no longer wants to have contact with Warnock, Malcor said.

Information from Telegraph archives was used in this report. To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398 or find her on Twitter@awomackmacon.

This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Alleged Central Georgia Tech kidnapper sentenced to prison."