Police: Elmira man arrested after kidnapping woman and her son
SOUTH WAVERLY, Pa. (WETM) — An Elmira man was arrested on Sunday in Bradford County after police say he broke into a woman’s apartment and assaulted her before attempting to take her and her son to Philadelphia by force.
According to the Athens Township Police Department, 47-year-old Damion Lamar Gooden was arrested on several felony charges on Sunday after police arrested him when they pulled over the vehicle he was driving Sunday morning.
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According to the affidavit, Gooden was arrested on the following charges:
One count of kidnapping to inflict injury/terror, a grade one felony.
One count of kidnapping a minor for ransom/hostage, a grade one felony.
One count of unlawful restraint, a grade one misdemeanor.
One count of unlawful restraint of a minor, a grade two felony.
One count of endangering the welfare of children, a grade one misdemeanor.
One count of fleeing or attempting to elude police, a grade two misdemeanor.
Two counts of recklessly entering another person, a grade two misdemeanor.
Two counts of terroristic threats, a grade one misdemeanor.
The document states that around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 21, Gooden broke into the apartment of the victims, a woman, and her 13-year-old son, and assaulted her by punching her in the face and kicking her in the chest.
The victim told police that she was dragged into the living room by her hair and was tied up in a kitchen chair with a shoelace and a phone charger. She added that Gooden had a large kitchen knife in his hand and repeatedly told her, “this is faster than my fist” several times.
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The document states that around 5 a.m. Gooden put the female and her child into the back seat of her car and told them they were going to Philadelphia. It’s said that Gooden began traveling on Interstate 86 and stopped at a Mirabito gas station at 2789 Elmira St. in Athens Township to get gas and cigarettes. The victim said that Gooden’s phone had fallen out of his pocket and she grabbed it and called 911 for help. The victim told police she felt scared calling the police and hung up the phone quickly after speaking to the dispatcher.
Around 7:40 a.m. police were called out to the gas station for the report of a kidnapping in progress.
Police found the target vehicle leaving the gas station before attempting to pull over the vehicle with lights and sirens. Gooden ignored police for about one mile before pulling over at the intersection of Beverly Lane and Lodar Street in South Waverly.
Police walked up to the car and noticed Gooden immediately got out of the driver-side door with his hands in the air, saying he, “messed up,” and wanted one last cigarette.
Police found the victims in the back seat, with the female having bruising and swelling on the left side of her face. Gooden was detained before being placed under arrest.
The victim told police that when Gooden saw the patrol car he made more threats with the knife that was in the passenger seat. The knife was later found between the passenger seat and passenger door when police searched the vehicle. The victim added that she repeatedly told Gooden to pull over and let her and her son out of the car, but he refused to do so.
Gooden was taken from the scene to the Athens Township Police Department for processing where he talked about the incident to police.
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In the affidavit, Gooden told police that what the victim said was true and that he assaulted her and bound her up in the living room. He said he put the victims in the car at 5 a.m. before sunrise so no one would see him doing the act. Gooden resented the acts to the police and told them he was sorry throughout the interview and that the victim didn’t deserve this.
The document states that the victim had an active protection from abuse order against Gooden in Chemung County that was signed on April 12, 2024.
Gooden’s first hearing was scheduled for Tuesday, April 23, but it was postponed to another date while he remains in custody on $2 million bail.
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