FBI Honors Ala. Trooper For Ending Kidnapping After Note Found In Flomaton Bathroom

March 3, 2011

The FBI has recognized an Alabama State trooper for his assistance is ending a kidnapping after a note asking for help was found in a Flomaton truck stop.

Alabama State Trooper Adam Robinson was patrolling Butler County, Ala., when he was alerted to be on the lookout for a vehicle driven by a man who had abducted his ex-fiancee and two elementary school-age children. Robinson quickly spotted and stopped the car on I-65 near Garland, locating a weapon and the unharmed kidnapping victims.

Robinson was presented with a certificate of appreciation from FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III for his actions.

On April 21, 2010, someone found a note in a women’s bathroom at the Yellowhammer 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.

During a search of the vehicle, Trooper Robinson located a .45-caliber Ruger automatic handgun in the vehicle’s door.

kidnap10.jpgThe driver, Therral Hatfield, 25 (pictured), 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.

Comments

8 Responses to “FBI Honors Ala. Trooper For Ending Kidnapping After Note Found In Flomaton Bathroom”

  1. citizen g on March 5th, 2011 8:44 am

    i told you that troopers were the good guys…….

  2. art on March 4th, 2011 2:41 pm

    remember when this happened? i do and i remember thinking at the time how great it was so fast they caught up with this poor woman. impressive job!

  3. Alabama man on March 4th, 2011 7:25 am

    Where is the certificate for the store clerk and the dispatcher?

  4. JUDY MASEK on March 3rd, 2011 7:11 pm

    sorry, but…this is a confusing story……was therrel the “kidnapper”?..if so, im not understanding why he was only charged w/giving false info and carrying a pistol w/o a permit…..this does NOT make sense….there must ber much more to the story that isnt being made known to the public…very interesting, to say the least.

  5. Billy on March 3rd, 2011 3:42 pm

    Alabama State Troopers are truely unrivaled. I wish everyone was trained by those guys.

  6. Jim W on March 3rd, 2011 12:43 pm

    This woman had a lot of courage to have done that. She deserves a certificate as well.

  7. mary on March 3rd, 2011 11:08 am

    where is this woman’s “Certificate For Bravery”?????

  8. Ms K on March 3rd, 2011 9:47 am

    Smart lady!