Kidnapping suspect found

Ponca City Now - February 18, 2014 9:42 am

A man who abducted a child in Missouri was caught in Oklahoma yesterday.

According to the Oklahoma Highway patrol, Andrew Smith of Arizona, 46 was suspected of taken an 11-year old girl from Marionville Elementary School.

Smith was her non-custodial father.

Aurora, Mo. police department contacted OHP yesterday morning.

Oklahoma troopers started searching the turnpikes and interstate systems for Smith’s vehicle.

By noon OHP investigators intelligence reports led them to believe he was in touch with his ex-wife and was possibly in the Tulsa area.

Around 2 p.m. state troopers spotted the suspect’s brother, Oliver Smith on the Turner Turnpike.

According to OHP, a traffic stop was performed on the vehicle near Wellston, Okla.

He was taken into custody on kidnapping charges in Lincoln County.

The arrest led to Intel that the suspect had possibly rented a car in Tulsa to avoid detection.

Further investigation led troopers to focus the manhunt on Cracker Barrel restuarants and the Flying J on I-35 north of Oklahoma City.

The suspect had parked his personally owned vehicle in that area on his way to Missouri.

Around 5:30 the rental car was found at the Cracker Barrel off 122nd and I-35 in Oklahoma City.

This Cracker Barrel is across the street from the Flying J.

Smith was taken into custody and booked into the Oklahoma County jail on kidnapping charges.

The juvenile was taken into protective custody unharmed.

According to OHP, she was united with her Mom later that evening.

 

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