Police claim that an Ohio guy stole a vehicle that had two children and is now being held in the Washington County Prison. A Washington County good Samaritan assists in identifying a suspect in an Ohio kidnapping. Keep reading this post to learn more details about the suspect Thomas Pritchard and this case.
Who is Thomas Pritchard?
According to state police, a keen-eyed citizen in Washington County, Pennsylvania, assisted in directing authorities to a guy suspected of kidnapping two children in Ohio.
Zanesville Abduction case: Amber alert
Iszak Shamblin, 3, and Kale Clark, 1, both of Zanesville, were the targets of an Ohio-based Amber Alert on Thursday. A caller to the police reported seeing a car moving near Jefferson Avenue in Canton Township, Washington County, just before 8 o’clock on Thursday. The caller said the car matched the description of one named in the Amber Alert.
Zanesville Police Department has issued an AMBER ALERT for Kale Clark, 1, and Iszak Shamblin, 3. Credit: Facebook
The vehicle was located, stopped, and Thomas Pritchard Jr., 46, was taken to jail, according to police. Paramedics discovered the kids in the back of the car and assessed them.
Pritchard’s physical characteristics, according to the police, made him the person who kidnapped the kids. Pritchard is being detained in the Washington County Prison, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for next month. Other counts against him include DUI and jeopardizing the welfare of minors.
Let’s read about this case in detail below
On March 23rd, 2023, at approximately 5:13 pm, the Zanesville Police Department received a call about an abduction that had just occurred. Officers would respond and discover that a woman was dropping off a child at a business when she had left her vehicle running with two other children (ages 1 and 3) in it.
She had come back out and had discovered her vehicle had been stolen with the two children in it. An AMBER alert would be issued for the abducted children and describe the vehicle. Detectives and officers would locate and review surveillance video in the area.
Several tips were provided that were followed up with. A potential suspect was identified walking in the alley south of where the vehicle was stolen. Detectives would further review surveillance video in the area in an attempt to obtain the direction of travel of the vehicle.
Children found safe
A vigilant citizen would observe the vehicle in the Washington, Pennsylvania area and notify Pennsylvania State Police. Washington Police and Pennsylvania State Police would locate and stop the vehicle at around 7:55 pm.
The children were found safe and would be transported to a local hospital for evaluation. The children were later reunited with their families. Detectives would travel to Washington, Pennsylvania to process evidence and interview the suspect. The suspect was identified as Thomas Pritchard (age 46, Zanesville). He is currently in the Washington County Jail (PA) without bail.
Charges against Pritchard
Pritchard has been charged in Washington, PA with:
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Endangering Children
Reckless Endangerment
Receiving Stolen Property
Local charges through Zanesville Municipal Court against Pritchard are:
Kidnapping; 2905.01; F/1 (2 counts)
Grand Theft of Motor Vehicle; 2913.02; F/4
The Zanesville Police Department would like to thank the community and local businesses for their assistance in this investigation. Agencies that assisted in the investigation were the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office, South Zanesville Police Department, Washington Police Department (PA), Pennsylvania State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Anyone with information concerning the investigation is asked to contact Det. Brian Swingle (740) 455-0708.
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Lavanya (Senior Editor) is a full-time content writer with almost 5 years of experience and a part-time teacher. She joined Medico Topics on the Breaking News trainee scheme in 2022 and now works on MedicoTopics.com. As a lifelong learner, She is constantly curious about learning new things and passionate about sharing knowledge with people through her writing and teaching.