A man wanted for kidnapping a female student from the University of Virginia has been arrested in Virginia. The kidnapper wrecked his getaway automobile on Wednesday night, which was the only reason the victim could escape.
40-year-old James Robert Allen was arrested on Thursday afternoon after a nightlong investigation and manhunt led by the Charlottesville Police Department, which included K9s, aerial units, and officers from various law enforcement jurisdictions.
Charlottesville is around three hours from his home in Suffolk; however, he was located in Louisa County, a short distance from the crime scene.
Allen is accused of assaulting a young woman on Cabell Avenue, in the heart of the college town, at around 9:40 p.m.
He allegedly forced her into his car after strangling her. He then took off in the vehicle.
The police said that Allen crashed into a tree after hitting several cars while trying to flee. Although banged up, the victim could walk away from the collision, and authorities believe Allen ran from the scene.
The student called the police and said the man who had tried to abduct her was not someone she knew or recognized.
She sustained injuries and was sent to the hospital for treatment; the police report that her condition at the facility is stable.
Chief Michael P. Kochis of the Chicago Police Department said during a press conference on Thursday that the woman who battled her way out of a kidnapping is “a tremendously tough woman.”
Kochis said that it didn’t take long for police to suspect Allen once they arrived. On Thursday morning, his picture and other identifying details were released.
He’s been charged with kidnapping, suffocating, and strangling his victim.
Although they declined to go on camera, Allen’s neighbors claimed to the media that Allen is a peaceful family with no dealings with law enforcement.
Allen’s presence in Charlottesville was mysterious, according to Chief Kochis.
