York County, Va. - A Newport News man is in jail after allegedly kidnapping a woman and her two small children in York County and forcing her to drive to an ATM to withdraw money.
23-year-old Christopher Junior Thompson allegedly approached the woman and her children at their car outside of the the Pottery Wine and Cheese shop in the Kingsmill Shops asking for money.
Debbie Kahle is the manager at the Wine and Cheese Shop in Williamsburg, where investigators say the mom and kids had lunch. It's when the three were walking to their car, that deputies say Thompson came up demanding money.
"Usually there are people in this parking lot all the time walking by and I’m like no one saw anything or heard anything?" Kahle wonders.
When the victim told him she had none Thompson allegedly pulled a gun and ordered the woman to take him to an ATM to make a withdrawal.
The woman drove to a nearby ATM, but found it was out of service. While at the ATM she was able to attract the attention of a Good Samaritan who called 911. Thompson then had the woman drive to another ATM across the street.
After hearing approaching sirens from the 911 call, Thompson ordered the woman to drive to the area of Parchment Blvd. and Merrimac Trail where he fled. Before leaving he took her cell phone, looked at her driver's license, and threatened her if she called police.
Thompson was soon arrested and charged with 3 counts of Abduction, Grand Larceny, Attempted Robbery, Carjacking, Wearing a Mask in Public, Credit Card Theft, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Preventing the Victim from Making a 911 Call.
He is currently being held at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.
