Man Charged In Indiana Interstate Kidnapping
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Minnesota man is facing charges after a woman in Indiana was kidnapped, held for ransom, and transported to Illinois, according to the Department of Justice.
Randy Smith, 24, recently of Golden Valley, Minnesota, is charged with interstate kidnapping, said United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch.
Lafayette police say on Wednesday around 6:18 a.m. 27-year-old Shatarra A. Triplett was kidnapped from her Bridgewater Circle home in Lafayette, Indiana. Police say 33-year-old Jeremiah Allen Hendricks said he got a phone call demanding a ransom. He then went to check on Triplett and the children living there. Hendricks and Triplett have an infant child who lives with Triplett.
Police found the infant as well as Triplett's three other children, all younger than 11, in the home when they arrive on scene, but Triplett was not there. The children all appeared to be in good health, according to police.
That evening the FBI found Triplett around 9:30 safe in Illinois. They stopped a vehicle with Smith inside, and Smith was taken into custody, according to the Department of Justice.
"The speedy charges filed in this matter represent the responsiveness of our law enforcement partners to investigate violent crime. Our strong commitment to investigating and prosecuting senseless violent crimes will always remain," Kirsch said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Lafayette Police Department, and the Tippecanoe County Prosecutor's Officer are investigating.