Kidnapping suspect drove on sidewalk while pursuing terrified woman, NC cops say
A kidnapping came to a dramatic end when the victim jumped from a man’s car and the accused attacker began driving on the sidewalk to catch her, according to investigators in North Carolina.
It happened Wednesday, June 11, at the intersection of Huff Drive and six-lane Western Boulevard in Jacksonville, and the victim managed to escape being recaptured, the Jacksonville Police Department said in a June 12 news release.
“The victim ... jumped from a vehicle in the intersection and ran to bystanders. The suspect Matthew David Toenniges ... chased the victim in his vehicle onto the sidewalk before leaving the scene,” police said.
“Toenniges was taken into custody by officers a short distance away.”
The woman, who is in her 20s, was taken from a site in Jacksonville and the incident is considered a case of “domestic violence,” police said. Investigators did not report how long the woman was held or if she was injured.
Toenniges, 30, lives in Jacksonville. Investigators say he is being held on $200,000 bond, charged with:
- Felony first-degree forcible rape
- Felony first-degree kidnapping
- Assault with a deadly weapon
- Misdemeanor crime of domestic violence
- Communicating threats
- Assault by pointing a gun
- Assault on a female
- Reckless driving – wanton disregard
Jacksonville is about a 120-mile drive southeast from Raleigh.
This story was originally published June 13, 2025 at 7:26 AM.