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Video shows wild car chase after police rescue 11-year-old from alleged kidnapper who tortured him at campsite
A harrowing video showed a wild police chase after a routine traffic stop that led to the rescue of an alleged kidnapping victim and the arrest of his kidnapper in Florida.The Flagler County Sheriff's Office said deputies pulled over a white Ford F-150 on U.S. Highway 1 on Wednesday after a 911 caller reported suspicious activity. They found a 60-year-old man identified as Darnell Hairston with two male juveniles.'A caller that knew his background as a sex offender with two children in his pickup truck called us. And if it wasn't for that, we might be investigating a completely different crime.'When deputies separated an 11-year-old boy, he told them he had been kidnapped by Hairston and feared for his life."He told us that he thought they were going to kill him," Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said.Police video showed deputies taking down the man before the other juvenile passenger, a 15-year-old boy, got into the truck and fled from the scene. He comes within inches of driving over one officer's feet. When police followed the vehicle, he rammed one cruiser before crashing the truck.The 11-year-old had been missing for three days and was treated at a hospital, according to police.He allegedly told police that he had been lured to a wooded campsite at Flagler Estates, where he was choked unconscious. When he regained consciousness, he was gagged with duct tape and tied with an extension cord and shoelaces. He also said he was threatened with a knife and firearm.The boy was forced to hide under a blanket on the floorboard of the truck while being transported, according to investigators.Search warrants performed on the man's vehicle, his residence, and the campsite led to the recovery of duct tape, weapons, and video surveillance equipment. Police said these were consistent with statements given by the victim.Investigators said the two juveniles were in a Snapchat group where the 11-year-old was warning others about Hairston being a sexual predator. Video of the traffic stop was posted to the sheriff's office Facebook account.RELATED: Man sentenced to 50 years for 'staggering' torture of his daughter that included force-feeding of laxatives Hairston was eventually charged with kidnapping of a child under 13, aggravated child abuse, battery by strangulation, and robbery with a deadly weapon. He had been initially arrested for attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.The 15-year-old boy was placed into the custody of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. He faces multiple charges and is being investigated as a possible co-conspirator.Hairston is being held without bond at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and may face additional charges."A caller that knew his background as a sex offender with two children in his pickup truck called us," Staly said. "And if it wasn't for that, we might be investigating a completely different crime."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
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