A central Ohio woman went above and beyond to help two kidnapping victims be rescued by police.
According to Reynoldsburg police, a woman and a young boy were kidnapped in North Carolina and driven all the way to Ohio where the perpetrator, Michael McKinney, parked at a Walmart. He was apparently hoping to force the woman to get money for him at the Western Union but there wasn’t one at that Walmart.
This little hiccup turned out to be the saving grace for the pair when they met Tia Withers, the woman who eventually led police to their rescue.
The female victim was just able to whisper to Withers as they passed her in the parking lot saying, “Help me, we have been kidnapped.”
Withers also overheard the man say something about killing the victims if they didn’t get back in the vehicle; she knew she had to do something and do it quickly.
Around that time, the victim was able to dial 911 but left the phone hidden and didn’t speak into it so McKinney wouldn’t know she was on the phone with emergency responders. Withers also called 911, telling them she had the perpetrator cut off in the parking lot.
She wasn’t able to hold him back for long; McKinney acted as if he was going to ram her truck, so she moved letting him speed off. This wasn’t at all it for the brave tagger, though.
She stayed on the phone with 911 and, as she drove, she described her interaction with the three people and how the woman told her they had been kidnapped. Withers gave police detailed descriptions of the landmarks they passed even down to turn by turn directions the victim’s vehicle made as McKinney attempted to escape.
Finally, police had their opportunity thanks to Withers constant detailed play-by-play. They were able to surround and corner McKinney in the parking lot a Tim Horton’s with nowhere to run. They say he may have had a knife on him but he didn’t use it. However, he definitely had drugs on him that they suspect to be methamphetamines.
In the end, though traumatized, both victims were not harmed. That may not have been the case if it hadn’t been for Withers acting instead of just hoping somebody else would. Heroes are people of action, indeed! Thanks to her for being a real hero.
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