A man allegedly posing as an Uber driver allegedly kidnapped an Arizona woman, and police were able to find her after the victim slipped a note to a gas station customer in August, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO).
Containing her name, phone number and a statement she had been kidnapped, the victim passed the note to a random customer at a gas station in the northern Arizona town of Seligman, the YCSO wrote on Facebook. The customer quickly called 911 and alerted authorities of the kidnapping, just as the alleged suspect’s van left the station, the report noted.
YSCO, in a coordinated effort with the Department of Public Safety, tracked down the van to Mile Post 116 on I-40, per the YCSO. Police rescued the alleged victim and apprehended the suspect, Jacob Wilhoit.
Wow! This is the note a quick-thinking kidnapping victim was able to pass to a customer at a gas station in Seligman, Arizona earlier this week in order to eventually get help from police. FULL STORY: https://t.co/8MPatbw9l2 pic.twitter.com/QRtLYVmiYz
— ABC15 Arizona (@abc15) August 24, 2023
Wilhoit allegedly carried out the abduction Monday morning “wearing a wig and pretending to be an Uber driver” near a Phoenix area car dealership, the YSCO wrote.
Willhoit allegedly “restrained her as they drove to Las Vegas and spent the night at a Lake Mead park,” the post continued. (RELATED: Family Members Rescue DoorDash Driver Who Was Allegedly Kidnapped And Sexually Assaulted While Making Deliveries)
Wilhoit, who allegedly had firearms in his van, now faces a slew of charges, including kidnapping, aggravated assault and unlawful imprisonment, according to the YCSO.