YAVAPAI COUNTY, Ariz. — A woman kidnapped from a Valley car dealership was rescued this week in Yavapai County after she passed a note to someone at a gas station, asking them to call 911.
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said they got a call Tuesday from a citizen who received a note from a woman at a Chevron gas station in Seligman. The note indicated she had been kidnapped and that her alleged abductor was taking her to Kingman and Las Vegas.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Alguacil: Mujer secuestrada en un concesionario de autos, rescatada por pasar una nota en gasolinera
YCSO said a state trooper later stopped a van matching a description provided by the customer traveling along Interstate 40. Officials detained 41-year-old Jacob Wilhoit without incident and found a woman in the vehicle.
The woman had apparently been reported missing by her mother earlier that day. She had allegedly been abducted Monday morning by Wilhoit, who was pretending to be a ride-share driver, YCSO said.
The suspect restrained the woman, drove her north and spent the night at Lake Mead park.
Multiple firearms were allegedly found in the suspect's car. He's facing charges of aggravated assault, unlawful imprisonment, kidnapping, and harassment.
"The victim’s extraordinary action in passing the note, the customer’s willingness to assist, and the quick actions of YCSO and DPS saved the victim from her kidnapper and allowed her to return home with her family," the sheriff's office wrote in a statement.