Man Arrested In Kidnapping, Sex Assault Of College Student

ATLANTA, GA -- Police have arrested a man who they say kidnapped a college student from a grocery store in Carroll County, made her drive him to Atlanta, and sexually assaulted her, authorities said. Timothy Wilson, 28, is charged with multiple crimes, including aggravated sodomy, kidnapping, false imprisonment, rape and aggravated assault against a police officer, according to news reports.

Wilson is due in court Sept. 20 after waiving his initial hearing in Fulton County court Wednesday, according to local media. He is also facing charges in Carroll County.

Atlanta police Officer Lisa Bender told the newspaper that the victim was taken against her will and forced to drive to Atlanta.

“It appears she was sexually assaulted at a location off Hamilton E. Holmes Drive in Northwest Atlanta,” Bender was quoted as saying.

The horrifying encounter began when the victim, a University of West Georgia student, was approached by a man holding a knife outside a Kroger in Carrollton.

The man then forced the young woman to drive to southwest Atlanta to an abandoned church near Hamilton Holmes Drive just off Interstate 20. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

Next, the man forced the student to drive into Midtown Atlanta, but by this time the woman was able to summon help. She was able to use her cell phone to notify her family using pin locators, Atlanta Police Captain Brian Schiffbauer told WGCL.

One of the people the student contacted was her boyfriend, who called 911, according to WAGA-TV. Responding officers found the vehicle and gave chase near an apartment complex in the 1700 block of Monroe Drive, the TV station reports.

About to be overtaken by authorities, the perpetrator jumped out of the vehicle and fled on foot. He remains at large, police said.

The victim was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where she was being check out, local media reported.

Anyone with information about this kidnapping case please call 770-834-4451 or 404-577-TIPS.

Image via Fulton County Sheriff's Office