A late-night trip to pick up clothes at a Knoxville home turned into a kidnapping case that ended at a Morristown motel, according to Knoxville police.
The Knoxville Police Department said 25-year-old Wilson Rodriguez Garcia of Morristown was charged with aggravated kidnapping after a woman was taken from a Knoxville residence on Tuesday night and later found in Morristown. Officers were called to the 100 block of Atlantic Avenue around 11:30 p.m. for a reported kidnapping.
How Police Say It Unfolded
At the scene, a witness told officers he had been helping an employee retrieve clothes from the house when the woman ran outside and warned that her ex-boyfriend was armed, according to KPD.
Police said the witness drove away from the home with the woman. On Cedar Avenue, the suspect, identified by officers as Garcia, allegedly pulled in front of the truck, then "forcibly removed the victim" from the vehicle before driving off with her.
According to KPD, officers later located Garcia and the woman at a motel on East Andrew Johnson Highway in Morristown. Morristown police arrested Garcia and transported him back to Knoxville, as reported by WVLT.
Charge And Possible Prison Time
After being questioned by Violent Crime detectives, Garcia was charged with aggravated kidnapping, according to KPD.
Under Tennessee law, aggravated kidnapping is defined in statute and treated as a Class B felony when the confinement meets specific aggravating conditions. For a Range I offender, a Class B felony carries an 8 to 12 year prison term, and higher offender ranges are subject to longer sentences. See Tennessee Code § 39-13-304 on Justia for the kidnapping statute and Tennessee Code § 40-35-112 on Justia for sentencing ranges.
