POWELLVILLE, Md.- Surf boards in the back of a pickup truck and wind restrictions on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel each played a role in police thwarting an alleged kidnapping attempt.
The Wicomico County Sheriff's Office said the incident happened Sunday at a home on Powellville Road in Powellville. A woman told deputies her ex-boyfriend had broken in and was abducting her.
Upon arrival deputies said they discovered the door to the home had been forced open and no one was inside. Deputies said they discovered an open Glock handgun box in the victims bedroom and .45 ammunition on the floor. The firearms were missing. Deputies identified the ex-boyfriend as Phillip James Timmons, 21, of Powellville. Timmons had a history of domestic assaults in which he was the aggressor, according to investigators. His ex-girlfriend applied for and a protective order had been issued prohibiting Timmons from contacting her, the sheriff's office said.
Timmons, his ex-girlfriend and their vehicle were located by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel after Timmons attempted to cross the bridge with two surfboards in the back of his truck, according to investigators. Due to wind restrictions, the surfboards were removed and transported by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Authority road crew. The surf boards were driven by the road crew from one toll plaza to the next.
"The individual who was driving the vehicle stepped out to assist putting them back into the truck. The female who was in the vehicle then jumped into the driver's seat and proceeded to drive away," said Edward Spencer, the CBBT chief of police.
Authorities said Timmons chased the truck on foot in a parking lot and then jumped into the bed of the pickup.
"The officer went out curious about what was going on and asked the lady that was driving the truck if there was anything wrong. She made a statement to him and said, 'Yes, I've been kidnapped and he has a weapon,'" Spencer said.
Spencer said while an officer was putting Timmons into handcuffs and taking him to the ground, a handgun fell out of Timmons' waistband and landed on the ground.
Timmons has been charged with kidnapping, abduction, and firearm related charges and is expected to be extradited back to Maryland. Timmons also has court dates for related charges scheduled for November in Virginia.
