Man Accused Of Kidnapping Woman In Montgomery County

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — A Burtonsville man is facing charges after authorities said he kidnapped a woman in Montgomery County.

Joel Akakpo, 18, was charged with kidnapping and second-degree assault following the Sunday incident, Montgomery County police said in a release.

According to police, officers responded to the area of Wexhall Drive and Greencastle Road after witnesses reported seeing Akakpo grab a woman and force her into a black Infiniti sedan before driving off.

Police said that as the vehicle left the area, the victim managed to throw her purse out of the window. Authorities recovered it and were able to identify the woman.

Authorities said officers searched the area but did not locate the Infiniti. A short time later, Prince George’s County police received a call about a suspicious situation involving the same suspect vehicle on Flintrock Drive in Beltsville.

According to police, a witness reported seeing a woman inside the car screaming for help. The witness also said the victim briefly locked Akakpo out of the car, but he used a rock to break a window and regained entry before driving away.

Montgomery County officers later found the abandoned car on Medallion Drive in Beltsville, but police said Akakpo and the victim had left the area. Despite an extensive search, police were unable to locate them.

On Monday, Montgomery County officers with the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force found both Akakpo and the victim on Almanac Court in Burtonsville.

Akakpo was arrested without incident. According to police, the victim had minor injuries from being forced into the vehicle and from broken glass.

Joel Akakpo was taken to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where he is being held without bond.