Deputies Stop Kidnapping at Aliceville Gas Station, Rescue Woman Taken From Tuscaloosa
A woman forced into a car at a Tuscaloosa home and driven toward Mississippi was rescued at an Aliceville gas station, and the man accused of taking her is charged with first-degree kidnapping.
Terron Gustarvus Wells, 22, of Macon, Mississippi, was arrested last Thursday, October 1st, after Pickens County deputies tracked the vehicle he was driving, according to the sheriff's office and a deposition filed in Tuscaloosa County circuit court.
Forced Into the Car
A witness saw Wells physically forcing the woman into the back of his car at a residence in Tuscaloosa on October 1, according to the deposition. He drove away from her home intending to take her to Macon.
The deposition says during the drive, Wells told the woman he was going to "beat her ass" when they reached his house in Mississippi. She told investigators she believed he would, because he had hurt her physically before.
She could not get out of the vehicle, according to the document, until police found them at the Aliceville gas station.
Pickens County Deputies Close In
The Pickens County Sheriff's Office said deputies were notified October 1 of a possible victim being taken against her will from a neighboring jurisdiction, and that information indicated she was in a vehicle somewhere in Aliceville.
Deputies began looking for the car and found it at a gas station. Working with Aliceville Police Department officers, they took Wells into custody and got the woman out of the vehicle. She was unharmed.
Wells was turned over to Tuscaloosa investigators and charged with kidnapping. He is in the Tuscaloosa County Jail, where bond has been set at $60,000.
Praise From the Sheriff
Sheriff Jordan Powell said his deputies answered the call.
"I could not be prouder of the men and women of the Pickens County Sheriff's Office. Our deputies work around the clock, often without recognition, and they continue to answer the call whenever someone needs help," Powell said. "Thursday night, they showed exactly what it means to serve and protect. Their quick response, professionalism, and dedication helped ensure that a victim was safely located. I'm proud to call these men and women my deputies, and I'm grateful for the work they do every single day."
Under Alabama law, kidnapping in the first degree is a Class A felony.
Wells has not entered a plea and is presumed innocent unless and until he is convicted.
For more exclusive coverage of crime and courts in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.
Deadly Hit-and-Run, Return of Stillman Football Top Tuscaloosa Headlines This Week (9/28-10/5)
Gallery Credit: (Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)
