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A Pennsylvania woman managed to outwit her alleged kidnapper, fleeing to a police station after he fell asleep—only to be abducted again the next day.
Her husband Shawn Prince, 29, is now facing multiple charges including kidnapping, simple assault, terroristic threats and harassment after the couple was found at a Kentucky hotel on Saturday, Oct. 4, according to the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office.
What are the allegations against Shawn Prince?
Scottdale Police in Pennsylvania were called on Oct. 1 to conduct a welfare check after the victim’s family hadn’t heard from her since what the district attorney’s office described as a “domestic incident” that took place two days earlier.
When officers arrived, they found the door to the home open and the victim’s phone inside, but no sign of her, prosecutors said. As they searched the house, they received word that the victim had escaped from Prince and was waiting at a nearby police station.
She told authorities that Prince had allegedly kidnapped her the morning of Sept. 29 and that he threatened to “cut her friend’s child’s throat” if she refused to go with him, according to the district attorney’s office. Prince allegedly drove the woman out into the woods, forced her out of the car and put a gun to her head, the district attorney’s office said. The two spent the night in the remote area, before Prince began driving again the next day.
When Prince “started nodding off,” the victim told police, according to prosecutors, that he forced her to take over the wheel. Once he was asleep, she recognized her surroundings and drove to the Scottsdale Police station. She escaped the vehicle and ran to the police as Prince took off and drove away. He allegedly threatened to burn her house down as he fled, according to authorities.
Shawn Prince is alleged to have kidnapped woman a second time
The woman’s ordeal didn’t end there. She was reported missing again the next day, CBS News reported.
According to local station WCHS, police tracked the couple to Maysville, Kentucky after they were spotted by a roadside camera. After getting word around 2:10 a.m. that the pair could be in the area, Maysville Police located them at a Quality Inn, according to a statement released by the department.
“Given the nature of the charges and the potential threat, Prince was considered armed and dangerous,” police shared in the statement. “Maysville officers quickly secured the area and safely evacuated nearby hotel guests.”
The Kentucky State Police also assisted with their Special Response Team and Prince was apprehended without incident.
After the arrest, Scottdale Assistant Police Chief Matthew Zelenak told CBS News, “Thankfully, when they were able to take him into custody, she was safe.”
During the investigation, police found drugs and drug paraphernalia at the scene, authorities noted.
In addition to the charges against him in Pennsylvania, Maysville Police said Prince is also facing charges of fugitive from another state, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia in Kentucky.
