MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. – An elderly woman was allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint Wednesday afternoon outside Hollywood Casino and forced to drive her abductor to an ATM before he stole her car and fled.
The suspect has since been arrested and now faces a series of felony charges in St. Louis and St. Charles counties.
Darryl Anthony Saddler, 62, faces nine felonies in connection with the kidnapping investigation, according to Missouri court records.
Police initially received a report of a kidnapping outside the Hollywood Casino in Maryland Heights around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to a news release from the city.
Investigators say the victim was kidnapped, held at gunpoint and forced to drive across county lines to St. Charles.
The victim reportedly drove Saddler to an undisclosed ATM in St. Charles. Once there, Saddler reportedly demanded the victim to withdraw money, then stole her vehicle and drove away from the area.
After that, the victim contacted St. Charles Police and provided officers with a description of Saddler and her vehicle. Saddler was taken into custody nearby.
On Thursday, prosecutors filed the following charges against Saddler…
In St. Louis County:
- One count of first-degree kidnapping
- One count of vehicle hijacking
- Two counts of armed criminal action
In St. Charles County:
- One count of first-degree kidnapping
- One count of first-degree robbery
- One count of unlawful possession of a firearm
- One count of stealing a motor vehicle
- One count of armed criminal action
According to the Maryland Heights news release, Saddler has a lengthy criminal history that also includes charges of rape, robbery, burglary, bank robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm in other cases.
The Maryland Heights Police Department says it is working in partnership with the St. Charles Police Department to further investigate the matter.