GASTONIA, N.C. – Police in Gastonia are working three separate kidnapping cases they believe are all connected.
Gastonia Police say the first kidnapping occurred about 1:30 Saturday morning when a victim, who’d just left work, was unloading groceries from his vehicle at home. Police say the victim was approached by two young, thin black men in their 20s, both wearing dark clothing and hoodies.
The victim was forced into his vehicle at gunpoint, while the suspects drove him to an ATM where he was made to withdraw cash. Then, police say the gunmen left in another vehicle that’s believed to have been following along.
The second kidnapping reportedly took place about 6:30 Sunday morning. In this incident, the victim was confronted by two suspects, sharing the same description as the incident on Saturday, in the parking lot outside of his apartment. Again, the victim was forced into his vehicle at gunpoint and taken to an ATM to withdraw cash. This time, officials say, the suspects fled the scene on foot near Concord.
69-year-old Claude Burdette was preparing breakfast around 5 o’clock Monday morning for the Family Life Center located behind the Flint Groves Baptist Church.
The suspects knocked on the back kitchen door.
When Burdette opened the door, he was forced outside by the two armed men.
While the suspects were attempting to rob Mr. Burdette, Tony Patterson arrived. The suspects forced both men into Mr. Patterson’s truck. The four men then drove into Charlotte and made Mr. Patterson withdraw several hundred dollars from a Charlotte ATM.
Both Patterson and Burdette have told reporters that they told the kidnappers they would pray for them.
“I even told them going down the interstate in Charlotte, I’m going to pray for them. I think it hit them for a minute that we would even pray for them that God will take care of them, and they will be okay,” said Patterson.
The men say they were eventually dropped off at the intersection of Sugar Creek Road and I-85. The suspects had thrown the truck keys in the grass on the side of the road for them to find in the dark.
They eventually drove to a gas station and called police.
Police in Gaston County are urging the public to beware of surroundings.
If you have any information that may assist law enforcement in this case, please call Crime Stoppers of Gaston County at (704) 861-8000.