Arizona police say North Carolina man accused of kidnapping
SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (AP) - A North Carolina man has been accused of vehicle theft and kidnapping after he allegedly stole a vehicle from a Sierra Vista gas station with two children inside. authorities said.
Police said 43-year-old Joel Harnage was being held in the Cochise County Jail on a $50,000 bond on suspicion of one count of theft of means of transportation and two counts of each of kidnapping, endangerment and custodial interference.
It was unclear Aug. 28 if Harnage has a lawyer yet who can speak on his behalf.
Police officers responded to a convenience store next to a gas station Wednesday night.
They said a woman went inside the store to make a purchase and had left her vehicle running with her two children inside.
Harnage was waiting outside the store and allegedly drove away in the vehicle, which police said was later found. The children were unharmed.
When police made contact with Harnage, they said he stated he had been watching convenience stores for an opportunity to steal a car so he could drive back to North Carolina.