LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A woman and her three children are safe after going through a terrifying kidnapping experience that ended in Mesquite, about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas.
Mesquite police took 34-year-old Justin Carter into custody just after midnight on Monday, October 10. He is currently being held at Clark County Detention Center on a $500,000 bail.
Mesquite police said a distressed woman called 911 from a moving vehicle and quietly stated she was in a vehicle and needed help. Dispatchers were able to determine the woman’s location and police responded and stopped the vehicle. They found the woman, three children, and Carter inside. He was taken into custody after police said they saw signs of criminal activity.
Police said they learned Carter had tried to stab the woman while in Las Vegas and then kidnapped her and the children at knifepoint and drove them to Mesquite.
“The bravery of this woman and her children cannot be overstated. They maintained their composure, and she bravely created a plan in her head to call for help as soon as she could,” said Mesquite Police Chief MaQuade Chesley.
Carter is facing the following charges:
- Attempted murder
- First-degree kidnapping with use of a deadly weapon
- Second-degree kidnapping with use of a deadly weapon (3 counts)
- Domestic battery with use of deadly weapon
- Coercion domestic violence with threat or use of deadly force
Carter is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on Oct. 26.
