Talk about a fortuitous turn of events, reports of a U-Haul truck driving erratically in Maryland ultimately resulted in the rescue of a kidnapped woman.
The woman was naked on the floorboard in the front seat, having been abducted earlier in the day Friday at a convenience store in Washington, D.C. She was forced to stay on the floorboard as the suspect drove around “all day,” according to Maryland State Police.
Dennis Bell, 62, was arrested after crashing the truck into a ditch. He refused to stop when police tried to pull him over and refused to exit the truck when the vehicle came to a stop. When officers approached the vehicle they discovered the woman inside.
“Two troopers approached the passenger side of the U-Haul to make contact with Bell. He refused to exit the vehicle after multiple verbal requests. The troopers were able to gain entry into the vehicle through the passenger side window and discovered the victim. She was without clothing and sitting on the floorboard in the front seat with apparent wounds to her fingers,” the state police said in a statement.
“The victim told police that Bell pushed her into the U-Haul truck and threatened her life if she did not comply with his demands,” the news release said.
“The victim reported that while in Bell’s truck, he removed her clothing and used a pocketknife to stab her fingers,” the release added. “The victim informed police that she did not know where she was throughout the day while Bell continued to drive.”
The unidentified woman was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
Maryland State Police said Bell faces 14 criminal charges including first-degree assault, kidnapping, false imprisonment, fourth-degree sex offense, possession of suspected crack cocaine, and driving while impaired. He also faces 19 traffic charges related to the incident.
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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