On 5/12/15, at approximately 10:39 AM, officers with the Benton Police Department were dispatched to an attempted kidnapping call at the Big Red Valero located on Hwy 67. While en-route to the call, officers were informed that a male suspect tried to force a female into a vehicle, but fled the scene before their arrival.
When officers arrived, they made contact with the victim in the case. The victim told officers that the suspect, identified as Jeremy Cummings (37 YOA) of Hot Springs, forced her to leave a residence and travel with him. When they stopped to get gas at the Big Red Valero she tried to mention to people nearby that she was being kidnapped.
The victim then tried to get way from Cummings and he tried to force her back into his vehicle whenever individuals nearby tried to intervene. According to witnesses, they told Cummings they had called police and he fled the area prior to officers’ arrival. The victim told officers that she and Cummings were acquainted with each other previously and that it wasn’t a random criminal act.
Officers then put out information on Cummings to surrounding police agencies in an attempt to locate him. The Hot Springs Police Department later informed us they had captured Cummings and he was transported back to the Saline County Detention Facility without further incident.
Cummings is charged with Criminal Attempt to Commit Kidnapping, 2nd Degree False Imprisonment, 2nd Degree Assault, and Disorderly Conduct. This is an on-going investigation and additional charges could be forthcoming.
Anyone with information about this crime is encouraged to contact the Benton Police Department at 501-778-1171 or 501-315-TIPS. Individuals also may send us an anonymous crime tip about this incident to CRIMES (274637) with the keyword BNPD in the body of the text or go to www.crimereports.com to leave a tip. A crime tip can also be submitted via the official Benton Police Department app found on ITunes and Google Play.
Any suspects listed are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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