Kenbridge Boy Escapes Abduction by Jumping from Captor’s Truck – Police Apprehend Culprit Soon after Incident

KENBRIDGE – Eric Donte Harrison, age 26, of 49 Busy Lane, Kenbridge, Virginia, and as of last year a resident of 392 Circle Dr., Lawrenceville, Virginia, has been charged with Abduction with Intent to Defile and Use of a Firearm in the Commission of Abduction that occurred on Sunday afternoon on Broad Street of Kenbridge in the middle of the business district.

The victim was a 12-year-old boy from Kenbridge who was walking east on Broad Street on his way to the town park on Fifth Avenue when the boy says the man, who the boy did not know, pulled over in a car, displayed a handgun, and told him to get into the car.  The boy said the man turned right on Fifth Avenue and drove toward South Hill.  The boy said the man asked him if he could kiss the boy.  The boy jumped out of the car in front of Virginia Marble on the South Hill Road where the speed limit is 55 mph.

An eye-witness saw the boy jump out and stopped to assist him, and called 911.   

The boy suffered non-life-threatening injuries consisting of road abrasions and some trauma to his collar bone.  He was treated at the South Hill hospital and released that night.

Kenbridge Police Lt. Tyler Anderson was the lead investigator for the offense and was assisted by Chief Raymond Hite, Lunenburg Sheriff’s deputies Sgt. Kevin Abernathy and Deputy Chris Wallace and Victoria Police Officer Greg Wallace. Anderson obtained a search warrant for Harrison’s house to look for the handgun.  Harrison’s car and house were searched, but no gun was found.

Police were able to identify and locate Harrison as the perpetrator within two hours, crediting the quick response to obtaining a surveillance video from a local store and having a bystander able to recognize Harrison in a photo printed out from the video and tell the police where he lived on Busy Lane.   When police arrived at the home, they found the vehicle, an early 2000 model Chevy Blazer, black and tan in color, as had been described by the boy.

Harrison admitted picking up the child, but denied using a handgun.  He said he was going to take the boy to a thrift store near the pellet company at the intersection of the South Hill Road and Switchback Road.

Chief Hite asks the public to please contact him at 676-2452 during the day and at 696-4452 through the Sheriff’s Office if anyone knows anything about Harrison.

Harrison is six feet tall and 200 pounds, according to Hite.

Harrison will be advised of his right to counsel on Wednesday, October 25th.  He is currently being held in Piedmont Regional Jail without bond.

Lt. Anderson obtained the first warrant Sunday evening for Abduction in violation of Code Section 18.2-47, a Class 5 felony which carries up to 10 years in prison. Additional charges have also been obtained against Harrison. He will also face charges of Abduction With the Intent to Defile, which is a Class 2 Felony and carries up to life in prison and the charge of Use of a Firearm in the Commission of Abduction which carries up to five years.

Chief Hite and Officer Mike Landry obtained the additional warrants after making the initial arrest and Harrison was served in jail with the other charges.