DOTHAN, Ala. – Officers captured 21-year old Iziquel Pashenz Vang Monday after he led police on a two-state chase that began in south Georgia and ended near Greenville, Florida.
Madison County, Florida Sheriff David Harper says his department first received the alert at 1:11 AM, regarding a suspect wanted for kidnapping and other felony charges from Alabama possibly being in Quitman Georgia and traveling South on US 221 towards Madison County.
At 1:29 AM, Brooks County Sheriff’s Office units advised they were in pursuit of a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed south on US 221 at or near the Jefferson/Madison County Line with shots fired. The pursuit ended with the suspect crashing the stolen Mitsubishi on Highway 90 west of Greenville. The kidnapped victim was recovered safely but the suspect fled on foot.
Canine units tracked Vang through heavily wooded areas until he was taken into custody at 4:47 AM. Vang is currently being held with no bond in the Madison County Jail
Vang has been charged with fleeing and attempting to elude, kidnapping, having an out-of-county warrant, grand theft of a motor vehicle, reckless driving, failure to remain at the scene of a crash, resisting an officer, and driving with a suspended license.
Jada Varner, the 16-year old taken from her Slocomb home is safe. “She will be okay,” is how Geneva County Sheriff Tony Helms describes her condition.
Helms says Vang has a history of domestic violence.
Helms said Vang and Varner had a relationship and Varner claimed Vang had temperament issues and other problems leading her to break up with him last Wednesday. Threats were then made against Varner.
The sheriff theorizes that Vang had hidden near Varner’s home on Sunday and waited for her to arrive. When she did, Vang kidnapped her at gunpoint as horrified family members looked on.
Sheriff Helms believes the key to solving this case is the tracking of Varner’s cell phone once the FBI became involved. This allowed the process to speed up, along with Sheriff Helms saying they had a good idea of where Vang would go.
Sheriff helms said this case is an important reminder.
“Appearances are deceiving, sometimes there’s always problems there and you never know,” Tony Helms, Geneva County Sheriff, said. “During the course of this investigation we found out that this young man was wanted in Wisconsin where he was from, and it was for warrants for violating domestic violence protection orders and running from the police and so they may look nice but there is always something in the back ground a lot of times, don’t just trust Facebook.”
This is apparently not Vang’s first run-in with the law. Helms tells News 4 that he had protection orders sought against him in Wisconsin due to domestic violence threats or allegations.
Helms is thankful to all agencies that assisted.
