Norfolk woman found in Ohio after kidnapping, police say
A woman is back home after being kidnapped from her driveway in Norfolk, according to law enforcement in Ohio, where she was found.
The woman told her family that she had been kidnapped by the estranged father of her child, who she had a restraining order against, according to authorities.
The Norfolk Police Department contacted the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office in Logan, Ohio on Friday to ask for help in locating a kidnapping victim. Investigators tracked her phone to that city — about an hour southeast of Columbus — after the woman made contact with her family, according to the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office.
After tracking the woman’s phone, authorities conducted a traffic stop and the woman was safely recovered. Authorities arrested James M. Hunter Jr., 31, of Norfolk, without incident and charged him with first-degree kidnapping, according to a news release.
Further investigation revealed that Hunter had bound the victim with zip ties after abducting her, the sheriff’s office said. He is being held at Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail awaiting arraignment.
The woman was transported back to Norfolk, according to the sheriff’s office.
Norfolk police could not be reached for comment on how long the woman had been missing.
Gavin Stone, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com
