SALISBURY — While last weekend’s Nor’easter did create problems throughout the mid-Atlantic region, high winds related to the storm played a part in the rescue of a kidnapped Wicomico County woman and the capture of her abductor at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
Last Sunday, the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a residence in Powellville in response to a 911 call from a female victim indicating her ex-boyfriend had broken into the home and was kidnapping her. Upon arrival, Wicomico County Sheriff’s deputies discovered the door to the residence had been forced open.
Deputies searched the residence and didn’t locate the victim or the suspect. However, the search did turn up an open Glock handgun box in the victim’s bedroom with .45-caliber ammunition on the floor, but the weapon was missing. In addition, the victim’s cell phone and wallet were still in the residence. Investigators interviewed family members and learned the victim’s ex-boyfriend was identified as Phillip James Timmons, 21, of Salisbury.
A search of police records revealed a history of domestic assaults in which Timmons had been the aggressor. The victim had also been issued a protective order prohibiting Timmons from having any contact with her. The Wicomico Bureau of Investigations (WBI) was contacted and took the lead on the investigation. Based on all of the information collected, a “be on the lookout” was issued to surrounding states in an attempt to locate the victim, Timmons, and his vehicle, a black 2001 Dodge Dakota.
While gathering more information and conducting the investigation, WBI detectives were notified by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Police in Virginia the victim, the suspect and the suspect’s vehicle had been located and that the suspect was in custody and the victim was okay.
According to Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Police, Timmons attempted to cross the bridge with two surfboards in the back of the truck. However, because of the storm-related wind restrictions on the bridge-tunnel, the surf boards were removed from the truck and transported to the other side of the span by a Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Authority road crew. Timmons then drove across the Bridge Tunnel with the victim still in the vehicle and arranged to pick up the surfboards on the opposite side.
Once on the opposite side of the tunnel, Timmons was unloading the surfboards from the van when the victim jumped into the driver’s seat and drove the truck toward a police car. Meanwhile, Timmons jumped into the bed of the truck and attempted to unlock the door through a broken window.
The victim found an officer and exited the vehicle and ran toward the officer, announcing she had been kidnapped and that Timmons was armed. Police gave verbal commands to Timmons and a brief struggle ensued before the suspect was taken into custody. Timmons was found to be in possession of a loaded .45-caliber Glock handgun.
WBI detectives traveled and interviewed Timmons. At the conclusion of the interview, Timmons remained in the custody of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Police and was scheduled to appear before a Virginia Magistrate to face charges of kidnapping, abduction and firearm-related charges.