Seaford Man Charged With Kidnapping After Terrifying Ride
Seaford, DE - A Seaford man is behind bars after a frightening incident on Saturday afternoon that left a woman fighting to escape a moving vehicle in what could be compared to a scene from a scary movie!
It started around 3:24 p.m. on May 30, when Seaford Police got calls about a woman screaming for help inside a vehicle being driven recklessly near Pennsylvania Avenue and Hall Street in Seaford, Delaware.
While officers were on their way, more calls came in. Witnesses reported a hit-and-run crash and a woman being dragged back toward a vehicle. Bystanders stepped in and pulled her to safety before the suspect took off.
When officers arrived and pieced together what happened, the full story came into focus.
The victim and 25-year-old Khalil Bell-Houchens were in a relationship. He had picked her up from a location in Blades, Delaware, and at some point during the ride, the two got into an argument. She told him she wanted out. Bell-Houchens refused to let her leave.
According to police, he made statements indicating that both of them were going to die. While this was happening, he drove the car up onto the sidewalk and hit at least one parked vehicle.
As the car turned down a side street, the woman took her chance. She jumped out of the moving vehicle, suffering minor injuries. Witnesses then stepped in and scared Bell-Houchens off as he tried to pull her back inside.
She received medical attention at the scene. Officers then began searching for Bell-Houchens.
With help from Delaware State Police, he was found at his home and taken into custody without further incident.
Bell-Houchens faces a long list of charges, including first-degree kidnapping, possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, second-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangering, terroristic threatening, and several other misdemeanors and violations.
He was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 3 and sent to Sussex Correctional Institute on $139,800 cash bail.
Anyone with information about this case or any other criminal activity is asked to contact the Seaford Police Department on Facebook or by phone at (302) 629-6645. You can also submit an anonymous tip to Delaware Crimestoppers by calling (800) 847-3333 or texting "KEYWORD plus your message" to 274637. Tips that lead to an arrest may qualify for a cash reward.
Disclosure: All individuals mentioned in this article are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Eastern Shore Undercover® does not express or imply any opinion regarding the incident reported.
