MUSKOGEE COUNTY GRANDFATHER SAFE AFTER BEING KIDNAPPED BY GRANDDAUGHTER AND HER BOYFRIEND

News 6 - February 17, 2023 6:39 am

Dennis Rea and Heather O'Neal

 –

A woman and her boyfriend are in the Muskogee County Jail after investigators said they kidnapped her grandpa and threatened to kill him.

The sheriff’s office said the two of them forced the victim to get them cash from ATMs in several cities.

The Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office said the suspects broke into the grandfather’s home in Oktaha, beat him up with a tire iron and forced him to leave with them.

Investigators said they got a call from a neighbor who suspected something was going on next door.

Heather O’Neal and Dennis Rae are in the Muskogee County Jail on complaints of kidnapping, assault and battery with a deadly weapon, burglary, and robbery.

Investigators said O’Neal is the victim’s granddaughter, and she’s dating Rae.

“We don’t get a lot of kidnappings here, or that I’ve worked in my years,” Investigator Kile Turley said.

Turley said O’Neal and Rae took her grandpa across several cities, forced him to take money out of ATMs, and buy things for them.

He said investigators are still working to sift through security camera video and add up receipts to see how much damage was done.

“They went to two casinos. They went to pawn shops, convenience stores, several different convenience stores,” Turley said. “And at the casinos they tried to withdraw cash from the ATMs and obviously bought some items at the casinos.”

Prison records show Rae has been in and out of prison since the 90s, for drugs and stealing.

After several hours of Rae and O’Neal driving her grandpa around on Monday, investigators said Tulsa Police found them in a parking lot at the River Spirit casino.

Turley said the 84-year-old victim is doing OK, despite the circumstances.

“He’s in a safe spot now. He was checked out medically, minor injuries. He’s with family now and is safe,” Turley said.

 

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