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Kidnapped Woman, Two Kids Saved After Note Left In Flomaton Bathroom
April 23, 2010
A note left in a Flomaton gas station bathroom led Alabama State Troopers to foil the kidnapping of a woman and two children.
About 3 p.m. Wednesday, someone found a note written on a handtowel in a women’s bathroom at a truck stop at I-65 and Highway 113 in Flomaton. The note said that the female and her two children had been kidnapped and were being taken to Atlanta by their abductor. The note also contained a description of the vehicle and its license plate number.
Law enforcement units across South Alabama were notified of the possible kidnapping. An Alabama state trooper patrolling I-65 near the Garland exit in Butler County spotted the vehicle headed north. He stopped the vehicle, which was occupied by a man, a woman and two children. The adult female, Latasha Hill of Jefferson, La., stated that she and her two children had been kidnapped by the driver.
During a search of the vehicle, the trooper located a .45-caliber Ruger automatic handgun in the vehicle’s door.
The driver, Therral Hatfield, 25, of Jefferson, La., was arrested and charged with giving false information and carrying a pistol without a permit.
Yellowhammer Truck Stop clerk Connie Kinman says she noticed Hatfield outside the women’s bathroom door the entire time she was inside.
“She had to know he was there,” she said. “She was very brave.”
The note said to call 911 because the woman and her children were being held hostage. She handed it to another lady in the restroom, who gave it to store clerks for help.
The Alabama State Troopers, Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Office, Conecuh County Sheriff’s Department, Louisiana State Police and the FBI are continuing their investigation.
Comments
12 Responses to “Kidnapped Woman, Two Kids Saved After Note Left In Flomaton Bathroom”
This is to “Been There” I am so sorry that you had to go through what you did. Sometimes cops are stupid! Different people do different things for different reasons. They are not supposed to judge us. Their job is to investigate, period! What they need to remember is that we pay the taxes. That’s where their salary comes from. We own them! They are working for us! Janice Parker
God is good all the time all the time God is good. This was indeed a blessing, I am glad the three are ok, this is a lesson for every one that we need to take thing serious because we never know where the DEVIL IS………….
To “been there”. I reported something once also, and was afraid everyone would think it was made up. I didn’t have a problem convincing the authorities though. Everyone was really supportive even though this guy was well known and well respected. When a counselor asked me why I would think they wouldn’t believe me, well it’s because of stories like yours. The cops could turn it around and make you look like the bad guy while the real creep is out there laughing about it. I was lucky! I just want to say I’m sorry that happened to you. It’s totally believable to me. Thanks for sharing.
Take him back to LA???????? NOT YET!!!!! is there a law about kidnapping and bringing across state lines? He need to get sentenced for kidnapping of 2 minors and an adult in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisana. He is only 25, so he may have enough time “to do the time”.
To the Brave Ms. Hill……..Hats off to you, I know you were not only looking out for youself, but for your babies too. GREAT THINKING!!!!!!
Person that turned in the note…………………Kudo’s …………Good looking out………you are an Angel. God Bless You!!!!!!
Most people would have considered this a prank and done nothing. I know because I was in this woman’s shoes many years ago and no one called the police or did anything because they thought I was just playing around. When you are held against your will, you are in an entirely different frame of mind. You don’t know what to do or what your captor is going to do. You take a terrifying leap of faith by daring to leave a note in a bathroom or anywhere else and despite your fear, you feel hope then because surely someone will find your message and call the police. You’ll be rescued! You live in absolute terror waiting for “the calvary to come riding in” but it doesn’t happen. Slowly you start to lose that hope. Escape seems to be a stupid fantasy that just isn’t going to happen. You give up trying and “accept the inevitable.”
I escaped my captor by pretending to be happy about the situation and getting him drunk. When he passed out, I escaped, stole his car, and drove all night to get back home. I was terrified that he was after me or would call the police on me. I was so scared that he had already called the police and they were after me for “stealing” his car or that he was coming after me that I wouldn’t stop and call them myself. All I could think about was safety and getting as far away from him as I possibly could. After my arrival home, I called the police and they didn’t believe me. They told me that IF any of this had actually happened, I would have called the police as soon I left the room so, for this stupid reason, they refused to investigate. They wouldn’t go ask at the stores where I had left notes in the bathrooms, at McDonald’s where I tried to signal to the girl working drive thru to call 911, the motorists we passed on the interstate I kept trying to signal. Nothing. I lived in fear for years, fear that he was coming back, fear that other men might do the same, even fear for my own sanity. Only when this man died and I read his obituary did I get peace. And let me tell you, something like this shatters your peace of mind, your sense of public safety, your self perception, etc. You are just a scared little kid after something like this.
Moral of the story: it’s always better to err on the safe side and report something you think looks even SLIGHTLY off kilter than to keep silent and risk someone’s life.
thats so inspiring to hear there are some good people out there…i’m happy to hear she and her 2 kids are doing good
What a blessing to read this story! So many stories that start out like this don’t have happy endings. Hats off to all the law enforcement involved.
what a brave woman. i am glad she and the children are now safe.
Amazing, good job, glad someone took it seriously
I, also, am thankful that the person reported this after finding the note. You are a hero in this woman’s eyes I am sure! Thank God they are ok and things turned out well!
Send him back to LA and teach him how to be gator bait! I agree Atmore boy!!
Thank the Lord they are alright! Very brave and smart women to leave a note! Also, hats off to the person who found this note and turned it in! This may have turned out very bad if the note had not been turned in! Everyone needs to stay alert anywhere they go this day and time!!!
Bad boy bad boy…what you gonna do…
Alabama State Troopers have now got you
Take him back to Louisiana…the gators are mighty hungry this time of the year