UPDATE: The father accused of hiring four people to kidnap his son and take him to Massachusetts has been arrested according to reports.
Iredell County Sheriffs say Ricky David Thomas Jr., 36, turned himself in to police in Hadley, Massachusetts on Wednesday night around 10:40 p.m.
Sheriffs do not know when Thomas will be brought back to Iredell County to face his charges.
Check back for updates.
STATESVILLE, NC — Deputies say the father of a juvenile in Iredell County hired four people to help him kidnap his son and take him to Massachusetts.
Wednesday morning, Iredell County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a possible kidnapping call on West Iredell Circle after the caller reported seeing four or five suspects taking a juvenile from the home next door. According to reports, the victim could be heard yelling for the suspects to let him go after being put in restraints and forced into a blue mini-van.
Detectives say they learned that the victim’s father, Ricky Thomas, Jr. of Massachusetts, and four others had gone to West Iredell High School earlier in the morning trying to find the victim. According to reports, their vehicles matched the description later given from the kidnapping.
Investigators were able to get a tag number from security surveillance and sent an alert to agencies across the country. Virginia State Police soon located the vehicle, along with the victim and four suspects, according to reports. The suspects were taken into custody and the victim was placed in the care of Virginia DSS.
Officials say the victim did not appear to have any serious injuries. Virginia DSS says they will make a determination in regards to the custody of the child.
The suspects, Lorraine Colpitts, Michael Warman, Tony Winslow, and Mickey Mitton, according to detectives, said that Thomas had hired the transport company to help him forcefully take his son from family in North Carolina and drive him back to Massachusetts. Once the son was restrained, officials say Thomas left him with the other suspects and headed to the airport.
Colpitts, Warman, Winslow, and Mitton are being held in Virginia on Iredell County charges of Felony Restraint and Felony Breaking and Entering until they can be extradited back to North Carolina. Officials say they are still trying to locate Thomas, but warrants for Conspiracy to Commit Felony Restraint and Felony Breaking and Entering have been issued for his arrest.
