Columbus police chased down and arrested a suspected armed kidnapper this morning after he fled in a stolen car with the owner of a Columbus gas station, police said.
Police identified the suspect as Demarquis Sentell Tate, 21, of 405 Apple St.
The incident started at about 7:30 a.m. at George”s BP at 1613 Waterworks Road. Regulars stopping in for coffee noticed the store was empty and the owner, George Young, could not be found, even though his cell phone and personal items were there.
Police say Tate kidnapped Young to take him to a bank to withdraw cash. No cash was taken from the store”s register, police said.
Meanwhile, police were notified about the missing store owner, and began a search for Young”s ”90s-model gold-colored Buick Lesabre.
Later in the morning, around 9 a.m., police spotted the car being driven by Young, near the store. Police suspect Tate, on the way to the bank, believed he needed a blank check to withdraw cash and was riding with Young back to the store to get one. The suspect was lying in the back seat.
The Buick was stuck in traffic, waiting for a train to pass. A police officer was a few cars behind Young and radioed other officers to the scene. When a police officer was approaching the car, Young got out, and Tate jumped in the driver”s seat and drove down the railroad tracks, north of North 14th Avenue near Moss Street, before becoming stuck.
The suspect jumped from the car and fled. He was arrested moments later in the parking lot of Phillips Construction, near Waterworks and North 14th Avenue.
The suspect was carrying a revolver with a 6-inch barrel, but never raised it or threatened officers with it, according to Officer Terrie Songer. Police didn”t fire weapons during the incident.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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