Woman escapes kidnapper who posed as cop in Aiken County [SC]

WRDW ^ | 6/3/26

[CFW]

NEW ELLENTON, S.S. (WRDW/WAGT) - Aiken County deputies arrested a suspect in connection with a kidnapping and the impersonation of a law enforcement officer.

Investigators have arrested 39-year-old Jonathan Willard of New Ellenton.

Willard is charged with kidnapping and impersonation of a law enforcement officer.

Willard is currently incarcerated at the Aiken County Detention Center.

An Aiken County Sheriff’s Office incident report showed deputies were called early Friday to the area of Williston Road and Boggy Gut Road for a reported kidnapping.

An arriving deputy found the woman on the ground in distress with a pair of handcuffs next to her.

Several witnesses were there, as well.

One driver said he was headed down Williston Road toward New Ellenton when he saw the woman run out of the woods away from a green car.

He said her hands were bound with handcuffs behind her.

[snip]

The woman told deputies she went for a walk around 5 a.m. after leaving a relative’s home. She said she was unfamiliar with the neighborhood.

She reported seeing the suspect’s vehicle earlier near Chukker Creek Apartments.

The woman said the man came up behind her, told her he was with the police, handcuffed her and put her in the rear of his car, which had no back seat.

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TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: banglist; goodguys; kidnapping; sc

[CFW]

Ladies, keep your head on a swivel, and if you can, carry a firearm or at least Mace with you when going out alone.

[scrabblehack]

What if he identifies as an LEO?

[CFW]

The cops should check his alibi and DNA in regards to any other missing women from the area.

He wasn’t going to let her go alive.

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“The man took her phone and Social Security card, along with her other belongings, and said he was taking her to the police station, deputies reported.

Instead, she said, he pulled into an unmarked driveway with a gate, backed up, then got out and went to the trunk, where she heard him going through what sounded like tools.

She told deputies the back doors wouldn’t open, but she crawled to the front seat and escaped through the open driver’s door.

She then ran to Williston Road to flag down help”

[Texas Eagle]

The woman told deputies she went for a walk around 5 a.m. after leaving a relative’s home. She said she was unfamiliar with the neighborhood.

Wait, what? Something's not adding up here. Why do you have to be familiar with a neighborhood if you're just going for a walk? You just have to remember when you turned left and when you turned right.

[House Atreides]

Jeez, this woman was very lucky to have successfully escaped from what may be a serial killer.

[Jane Long]

Things are getting harder, for the general public, day by day. 🫤

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The woman said the man came up behind her, told her he was with the police, handcuffed her and put her in the rear of his car, which had no back seat.

Ted Bundy had removed the seats from his Volkswagen Beetle.

Must be a serial killer thing.

[lee martell]

Maybe she was visiting somebody and left the house to have a smoke or make a private phone call. I’ve done it.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Wait, what? Something's not adding up here. Why do you have to be familiar with a neighborhood if you're just going for a walk? You just have to remember when you turned left and when you turned right.

So it's her fault and she deserved it. Check.

[T.B. Yoits]

You don’t need a gun because the police will protect you. Or that police impersonator will protect you or murder you or something.