Stranger kidnaps woman, drives her nearly 200 miles from home, Colorado cops say

Miami Herald

7 days ago

A man led authorities on a 30-mile chase spanning two counties after Colorado deputies say he carjacked, then kidnapped a woman.
Shane McSwane, 28, was arrested on a slew of charges in relation to the kidnapping of a 22-year-old Aurora woman, the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office said in a May 27 Facebook post.
'I want to commend our deputies as well as the Huerfano County Sheriff's Office for their swift, professional, and courageous actions during this highly dangerous situation,' Pueblo County Sheriff David J. Lucero said in a news release. 'Their decisive response saved this victim's life.'
Deputies said they were responding to a report of a robbery at a Circle K convenience store in Colorado City when a woman called 911 to report her daughter had been kidnapped.
The woman told dispatchers her daughter's 'phone was pinging near the Circle K,' deputies said.
The robbery suspect left in a Ford Escape prior to deputies arriving, according to the sheriff's office.
The SUV matched the one involved in the woman's kidnapping, deputies said.
As a deputy patrolled Interstate 25, they noticed the SUV driving northbound, exiting at Pueblo Boulevard, the sheriff's office said.
The deputy tried to pull over the SUV, but the driver, later identified as McSwane, didn't stop, according to the sheriff's office.
Instead, he drove southbound on Interstate 25, and a 'dangerous' 30-mile chase through two counties ensued, deputies said.
McSwane 'refused to stop, crossing the interstate median multiple times, endangering other drivers on the interstate,' the sheriff's office said.
Huerfano County deputies deflated the SUV's tires by placing 'stop sticks,' the sheriff's office said.
Still, McSwane continued to drive 'several more miles,' according to the sheriff's office.
Pueblo County deputies used a technical maneuver on the SUV, which caused it to stop, the sheriff's office said.
Deputies from both counties boxed in the SUV, and 'McSwane was taken into custody at gunpoint,' the sheriff's office said.
Despite being 'visibly shaken and emotionally distraught,' the woman was not physically harmed, according to deputies.
The woman told deputies she was carjacked at about 11 p.m. on Sunday, May 25, while she was stopped in Aurora because of a car accident, deputies said.
McSwane approached her SUV, then forced his way inside, she told deputies.
'He threatened her and took control of the vehicle,' deputies said.
McSwane drove around with her inside the SUV 'against her will for nearly four hours,' traveling as far as Aguilar, about a 200-mile drive south from Aurora, deputies said.
During the hours-long drive, he 'made repeated sexual comments' toward the woman, 'touched her inappropriately, and forced her to touch him,' according to deputies.
When McSwane stopped at the Colorado City Circle K, the woman said he went inside and 'threatened to shoot the clerk if she didn't give him a lighter,' deputies said.
The clerk was unharmed, deputies said.
In addition to a second-degree kidnapping charge, McSwane is also facing 'two counts of aggravated robbery, unlawful sexual contact, second-degree motor vehicle theft, two counts of menacing with a deadly weapon, felony vehicular eluding, reckless driving and driving under restraint,' according to deputies.
McSwane was in possession of the woman's debit card and 'drug paraphernalia' at the time of his arrest, so additional charges may be forthcoming, deputies said.
McSwane was being held without bail as of May 28, jail records show.
An investigation is ongoing, deputies said.