A U-Haul sign, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Kirby Lee via AP)
A man allegedly terrorized a woman in a day-long kidnapping by forcing her into his U-Haul truck, taking off her clothes, and stabbing her fingers with a pocket knife amid driving her around all day. Maryland State Police said they arrested Dennis Bell, 62, on Saturday night.
Authorities did not identify the woman. Paramedics took her to a local hospital, they said.
Bell, a resident of Lanham, Maryland, encountered the woman at a convenience store on Minnesota Avenue Southeast in Washington, D.C. on Saturday morning, officers claim.
According to cops, she said Bell forced her into the truck and threatened her life if she did not comply with his demands. He drove around all day with her sitting on the floor board in the front seat.
“The victim informed police that she did not know where she was throughout the day while Bell continued to drive,” authorities said.
Eventually, however, motorists called in reports of a U-Haul truck driving erratically and striking multiple parked cars in the area of Princess Garden Parkway. Troopers tried to perform a traffic stop, but Bell refused to stop, authorities said. There was a chase, according to cops.
“A pursuit ensued and ended at Baltimore Avenue and Elm Street in Lanham where the vehicle became disabled in a ditch,” they wrote.
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After Bell refused to get out of the vehicle, troopers managed to enter through the passenger-side window and found the woman, who was without clothes and sitting on the floor board with apparent wounds to her fingers, cops said.
“Police immediately rescued the woman and covered her with an agency issued jacket,” officers said. “Emergency medical service personnel responded to the scene and transported her by ambulance to the hospital.”
Bell did not cooperate and refused to name himself, officers said. He faces charges including kidnapping, false imprisonment, first-degree assault, and fourth-degree sex offense. He is also accused of driving while impaired and possibly possessing crack.
From police:
Anyone who may have witnessed the alleged kidnapping or has relevant information regarding the investigation is urged to contact the Criminal Enforcement Division via email at [email protected] or contact the College Park Barrack. All calls and emails may remain confidential.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
