Woman who was kidnapped by her own BOYFRIEND speaks out about her harrowing ordeal - and reveals the red flags she IGNORED in their relationship

A woman who was kidnapped at knifepoint by her own boyfriend has shared the details of her horrific ordeal - revealing how she accepted she was going to die at the hands of her abuser.

In October 2022, Alexis Ruhlen, 21, was violently forced into her car by Pawel Sliwinski, 24, and driven to a local mall, where he threatened to dismember her and sew her back together.

Once parked, the college student, from New Jersey, quickly locked the doors after Pawel got out, speeding to the local police department and reporting her abuser. 

Pawel was sentenced to seven years in prison in April 2024 after he pleaded guilty to kidnapping Alexis.

Now, almost two years after the horrific ordeal, the nursing student is reflecting on abuse she suffered, as well as the quick-thinking that saved her life.

'I accepted I was going to die that day,' the college student recalled. 'Saving myself was my most difficult accomplishment but it is one I am most proud of.' 

On the outside, Alexis Ruhlen and Pawel Sliwinski looked every bit like the perfect couple, falling into a whirlwind romance after they first matched on Tinder in December 2020.

They officially started to date in January 2021 and it wasn't long until Pawel started to expose his cruel streak which would culminate in him snapping and threatening her life.

'I just thought he did it because he loved me,' Alexis admitted.

'But then he'd display grand gestures like taking me on weekends away to make up for making me sad,' the New Jersey native explained.

However, just weeks after the couple began dating, Pawel began showing worrisome signs - becoming aggressively possessive, attempting to dictate what she was wearing and demanding to know her location at all hours.

Eventually, he became physically abusive.  

'He'd even say that he'd never hurt me again - but of course, that didn't last for long,' Alexis said. 

'I lost count of the number of times he hit and screamed at me for what I was wearing or where I was going,' she added.

The final straw came in October 2022 when Pawel insisted she FaceTime him, but 'flipped out' when she bumped into a male stranger while walking around her college campus.

'Then and there I told him I was done for good,' she said. 

Fuming over the breakup, Pawel had sent the college student a whopping 43 emails threatening to harm her and her loved ones before descending on her campus in order to get revenge.

The jealous ex hid in the boot of her car with knife, jumping out and punching Alexis in the face before forcing her to drive for 45 minutes to a mall. 

After Alexis made her quick escape to the police, Pawel was arrested with charges of aggravated assault, burglary, assault with a weapon, stalking and making terroristic threats against him.

However, they were later dropped as part of a deal for pleading guilty to first-degree kidnapping. 

After reflecting on the ordeal, Alexis says she doesn't think of herself as a victim, but as a survivor.

'To see the person who made my life hell for a year-and-a-half face punishment is powerful,' she said.

'I refuse to live my life labelled as a victim because of him.'

The soon-to-be nurse said she will continue to survive through the tough battles in life and strive to stand up for people in similar positions to that which she was in - noting she went through a long healing journey to get to where she is today. 

'It took me a long time to be okay but I'm doing better now,' the brave woman admitted.

'I would've liked him to get longer but going to trial would've been tough.'

She said her experience had made her stronger and more resilient, despite being hurt in 'unimaginable' ways.

'My family have been incredible and I have the kindest boyfriend,' she gushed.

'I am free, I can breathe and I am at peace - I am living my life on my own terms.'

Pawel appeared at Bergen County Courthouse and was sentenced to seven years in prison in April 2024.