CAMAS, Wash. — A woman jumped out of a moving car to escape a kidnapping after being held at knifepoint in the early hours of Saturday morning, according to Clark County Sheriff’s deputies.
At around 4:30 a.m. that day, deputies said the victim made her way to a home on Northeast 28th Street near 242nd Avenue in Camas.
Jamie Woods lives at the house and said the woman began banging on the back door and jiggling the doorknob.
“She was desperate to get in, which I can understand,” said Woods. “She told me that someone tried to kill her and someone stole her car and all this other stuff."
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Woods called 911 and walked the woman outside to wait for police.
Sheriff’s deputies said the woman told them she'd been carjacked near Mill Plain Boulevard and Grand Boulevard in Vancouver. She said the suspect had asked her for water, which she provided. Then she let him get into her car. She said that’s when he held her at knifepoint and forced her to give him control of the car.
The victim said that after driving for several miles, the suspect ended up on a dirt road in Camas and slowed down enough to where she was able to jump out of the moving car and escape.
“She was all dirty, barefoot, no shoes,” said Woods. “The only thing I can think of is that maybe he was bringing her out here to kill her, dump her, rape her, who knows. I'm just thankful that she got out of the vehicle and got here to someone who was willing to call the authorities and help her regardless of her attempting to break into the house.”
Less than an hour later, deputies spotted the suspect driving the victim’s car. That triggered a 10-minute chase that ended near Northeast 115th and Chkalov. Deputies, assisted by members of the Vancouver Police Department pinned the car and arrested the suspect.
The suspect initially refused to identify himself and he was booked into the Clark County Jail as "John Doe" on charges of first-degree robbery, first-degree kidnapping, attempt to elude and reckless driving.
On Tuesday, the Clark County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect as 31-year-old Jeremy Alexksa. Vancouver police have also charged Alexksa with first-degree kidnapping and first-degree robbery due to the alleged crimes taking place in their jurisdiction.