Suspect in Edmond kidnapping identified by law enforcement
The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office said they have identified one of the men involved, who they said was seen on video forcing the woman at gunpoint into a car
The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office said they have identified one of the men involved, who they said was seen on video forcing the woman at gunpoint into a car
An arrest warrant provided new details on a kidnapping last Friday outside of a coffee shop in Edmond.
| MORE | Woman found miles away after being abducted in Edmond Friday
The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office said they have identified one of the men involved, who they said was seen on video forcing the woman at gunpoint into a car. At approximately 1:30 p.m., deputies were dispatched to the area of North MacArthur Boulevard and Northwest 178th Street on reports of a woman being placed in the vehicle by two armed males wearing ski masks, according to the arrest warrant.
When deputies arrived on scene, they found a Tesla still running with the driver's door open. The vehicle was determined to belong to the woman.
Surveillance video from nearby businesses showed the two men put the woman in a silver Chevy car. Deputies request assistance from the FBI to help process the victim's Tesla.
The woman was dropped off near Interstate 240 and May Avenue once a statewide alert was sent out, describing that the woman had been taken. Investigators with the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office interviewed the woman, who said one of the men choked her until she became unconscious and told her he was going to kill her on multiple occasions while pointing a handgun at her, according to the arrest warrant.
During the investigation, officials found that the woman had $250,000 in cash stolen from her vehicle. Oklahoma County deputies said they are still investigating why she had this amount of cash in her car.
She also said she used CashApp to send one of the men another $10,000. She said the men stopped at a gas station, where they met another man and split up the cash.
She told them she could also get another $100,000 when they asked for ransom money. She told investigators one of the men asked her if she "wanted to go to Arkansas" and if anyone would pay ransom to keep her alive, according to the warrant.
The victim said she could not recognize the suspects, but she said the three people had "very country accents," according to the arrest warrant.
Using facial recognition software, law enforcement officials were able to identify a 23-year-old suspect from Fort Worth, Texas. KOCO 5 has chosen not to release his name until formal charges are filed.
"It's important to stress, we do not believe this was a random kidnapping," Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III said. "We believe the victim was specifically targeted. That said, she has undergone tremendous emotional trauma and we are praying for her."
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