A man suspected of kidnapping a 14-year-old girl from his North Carolina home led the police in a car chase and has since died of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.
The 14-year-old was found safe in Arkansas, about 800 miles from home, and was taken back to her family, police said in Lonoke, Arkansas.
The case began on February 11, when the suspect, William Ice, 38, allegedly removed the teenager from his home in Denton, Davidson County, after communicating with her through various online platforms, the office said. sheriff of Davidson County.
At around 8 pm on Saturday, two police officers in Lonoke, Arkansas, recognized an SUV at a McDonald’s in connection with the kidnapping case, Arkansas State Police said on Sunday.
The officers saw two people inside the SUV and ordered the driver – later identified as Ice – to leave, the police said.
When Ice got out of the car, he “aimed a gun at one of the officers and started shooting, seriously injuring the officer,” said the state police.
Lonoke’s second officer, who was not hit, responded to the fire, while Ice returned to the car and fled, police said.
An Arkansas state police chased Ice through Lonoke until Ice’s car was damaged in a snow bank, police said.
The 14-year-old girl then fled the car to safety, police said.
Inside the SUV, the officer discovered that Ice was injured by what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. Ice later died at a hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas, police said.
Lonoke’s injured police officer, Cody Carpenter, was shot several times, but “he is expected to fully recover,” said Lonoke police.
Authorities determined that Ice was also reportedly talking to several other underage girls in Alamance County, North Carolina, the sheriff’s office said. A search of his home found two names and addresses of 13-year-old boys in Alamance County, said Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson. “When interviewing these individuals and also confiscating their school computers, we found … a total of 10 young people who had contact with Mr. Ice,” said Johnson.
Ice, from Mercer County, Pennsylvania, was also “wanted by Pennsylvania law enforcement officials in connection with other cases of child predators,” Arkansas State Police said.
Davidson County Sheriff Sgt. David Blake said at a news conference on Monday: “We know that Mr. Ice was actively, was actively accused of crimes against a child. Physical crimes against a child”.
“In addition, we understand that he was basically caught in an exploitation frame by police in that area. He was actively on the run and had warrants when he came here to fetch [the 14-year-old girl in Davidson County, North Carolina]”Said Blake.
Authorities said Ice used different e-mail accounts and chat rooms in an attempt to remain anonymous.
“We know of at least two to three other young people in Davidson County,” continued Blake. “Most of them were women and one man in particular. It appears to be a high school age group that he was specifically targeting.”
Sheriff Richie Simmons of Davidson County said on Monday that it is difficult to monitor children when they attend classes at home during the pandemic.
“Our children need to go back to school. While they are at school, there are firewalls for that. When they’re taking tablets home, there’s nothing, ”he said.