Warrants for kidnapping issued in relation to Amber Alert

SALISBURY — The Salisbury Police Department has obtained arrest warrants for kidnapping for a man in relation to the Amber Alert that was issued on Friday night.

Police have obtained warrants for 25-year-old Kevin Antonio Smith Jr. for four counts of felony first-degree kidnapping, two counts of misdemeanor child abuse and one county of armed robbery, said Sergeant Justin Crotty.

The incident occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Friday night, when the victim and her brother went with the children to Smith’s house to drop off some belongings, Crotty said. When they arrived, Smith allegedly became angry that the brother was there and a verbal altercation ensued.

Smith then threatened the victim and the brother, saying that he had a gun on him and he would shoot both her and his son, according to Crotty. Smith then allegedly forced his way into the driver’s seat of the victim’s car and drove away with the victim, the brother and two children in the vehicle.

Smith drove them to the intersection of West Council and North Caldwell streets, where he allegedly told the victim that she would need to fight someone to get out of the car and threatened to kill the son again. After another verbal altercation, Smith made the victim and the brother get out before driving away with the children in the car, said Crotty.

It was at this point that the department requested the state issue the Amber Alert, which has a few parameters. The children must be believed to be abducted, they must be younger than 17 and the children cannot be in the company of a parent unless police suspect there is a danger of death or serious injury. Crotty said that the alert was issued because Smith had threatened to kill one of the children, which qualified as the children being in danger of death or serious injury.

Eventually, the car was found nearby with the two children still inside. The children were returned unharmed to the mother. Police are still searching for Smith.

The post Warrants for kidnapping issued in relation to Amber Alert appeared first on Salisbury Post .