Nottingham Man Arrested After Trying to Kidnap Mother, Burn Down House

A 25-year-old Nottingham man was arrested after he threatened to burn down the home he shares with his parents, tried to kidnap his mother, threatened to kill her and led police on a chase.

At about 10:45 a.m., Sept. 20, the man called his mother while she was at work and was enraged, yelling and calling her names. The woman called her husband, the suspect’s father, who called police and told them that his son had broken glass in their home and was threatening to burn down the house.

When officers went to the house, they were able to smell a strong odor of gasoline coming from the home but were unable to locate the suspect.

Meanwhile, at the intersection of northbound Belair Road and Rossville Boulevard, the suspect encountered his mother who was driving home from work. He got out of his vehicle, a blue 2001 Toyota Corolla, and approached his mother’s car. He threatened that he had a gun in order to get her to let him in.

Once inside the mother's car, the suspect flew into a rage, kicking and striking the dashboard and windshield causing it to crack. He demanded that his mother drive him where he wanted and threatened to kill her if she did not comply. The woman was able to convince her son to get out of her vehicle and back into his, in order to follow her. 

She began driving in the direction her son demanded but then drove off-course to seek the safety of two police officers. As she drove, her son called her cell phone and told her that he planned to run her off the road.

At approximately 11:49 a.m., an officer spotted the blue Toyota Corolla driven by the suspect heading eastbound on Joppa Road toward Ridgely’s Choice Drive and gave chase. The suspect was traveling 50 mph in a 25 mph zone, and hurtling over speed bumps.

Officers continued to chase the suspect as he ran a red light, weaved through traffic, traveled at a high rate of speed, made unsafe lane changes and crossed a double yellow line near Dunfield Road.

The suspect tried to abruptly turn onto the exit ramp for White Marsh Boulevard at which point he lost control of the vehicle, jumped the curb, crossed a median and eventually landed on the exit ramp.

Officers ordered the suspect out of the vehicle at gunpoint and when he refused, he was pulled from the vehicle by several police officers. Once outside, the victim continued to resist. When the man was taken into custody, he began to make light of the situation joking with officers and congratulating them for finally catching him.

The was taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital to be treated for a laceration to his head as a result of the accident that ended the chase. The man was charged with attempted arson, attempted kidnapping, several traffic violations, fleeing and eluding police and resisting arrest.

In addition, the police report states that the suspect had a warrant for his arrest for previously fleeing and eluding police.

The man was booked into the Baltimore County Detention Center and initially held on $500,000 bond. Later, he was denied bail at a hearing.