The Birmingham Police Department(BIRMINGHAM, Ala.) — Police arrested and charged a suspect on Wednesday in connection with an alleged Alabama kidnapping that ended when the victim escaped from the trunk of a moving car.
The suspect, Manuel Towns, is charged with the fraudulent use of a credit card, robbery in the first degree and kidnapping in the first degree in connection with the March 14 incident, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
The Birmingham Police Department sent out notice of the arrest via Twitter on Wednesday and posted an image of the suspect.
Manuel Towns: charged with the robbery and kidnapping that occurred on March 14th. 500k bond. pic.twitter.com/UuQpLgvIaq
— Birmingham Police (@BhamPolice) March 23, 2017
Towns is currently being held at the Jefferson County Jail in Birmingham on $500,000 bail, the office said. It is not clear whether he is represented by an attorney or has entered a plea.
Police said the victim reported walking to her apartment in Birmingham last week when an unknown man approached her with a gun and demanded money.
The victim told police that after she told him she didn’t have any money, the man forced her to drive around and later to get into the trunk.
While she was in the trunk, he eventually drove to a gas station and convenience store, where the woman was able to open the trunk and escape, just as the vehicle was starting to pull away, police said. She then ran inside and called 911 for help.
Police circulated an image of the man last week based on the gas station’s surveillance footage and asked for the public’s help in identifying him.
The woman suffered minor injuries when she jumped out of the car, according to ABC News affiliate WBMA in Birmingham.
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