RIVERDALE, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -
A Clayton County man remained in jail Tuesday morning facing numerous charges, including murder. His ex-girlfriend told CBS Atlanta he kidnapped her just days before he allegedly killed a single mom.
Roshana Smith told CBS Atlanta her ex-boyfriend, Nehemiah Johnson, was a ticking time bomb and violent toward her throughout their short relationship.
Johnson was in a Clayton County courtroom on Saturday after police charged him with killing Rochelle Thomas.
"It's just been on my mind, heavy the whole time. That's all I keep thinking about is, how could he do something like that? It could have been me," said Smith. "I can believe he did it because he strangled me before. He choked me out and blacked me out. I can see him doing this to her."
Police said Johnson strangled Thomas to death last Tuesday, four days after Smith said Johnson kidnapped her at knife point.
Smith said he broke into her home at about 5:30 a.m.
"And next thing I know, he in my house. He on top of me, he got his hand over my mouth, over my nose and he had a knife to my neck. He told me if I scream, he's going to kill me. He had tied up my hands and he had tied up my face with a shirt, with one of my kids' T-shirts," said Smith.
Smith said Johnson took her to his brother's apartment. After several hours, she said he let her go. She told the police and they issued a warrant for Johnson's arrest. Officers arrested Johnson Tuesday night, the same day they said he allegedly killed Thomas.
But at the time officers had not connected Johnson to her murder.
Police said Johnson killed Thomas inside his brother's apartment at the Harmony Crossroads Apartments and then dumped her body behind one of the apartment buildings.
Smith was inside that same apartment four days earlier pleading for her own life.
"I couldn't get out, I couldn't scream or anything," said Smith.
Johnson is scheduled to appear back before a judge February 14.
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