By Staff Report
A man has been arrested by the Chipley Police Department (CPD) after he allegedly kidnapped a mother and son and confiscated their phone.
The CPD received a 911 call about the incident from a local hotel on Friday, March 29, around 9:30 p.m.
“Promptly responding to the call, officers arrived at the scene to find a previously occupied room with its door left ajar,” a news release said. “Upon further investigation, it became apparent that this location was potentially a crime scene.”
The unidentified victims were said to have been forcibly taken against their will by the suspect, Tony Edward Peterson.
“Subsequently (after taking the victim’s phone), Peterson transported the victims to a neighboring town, where they managed to escape his custody,” the news release said. “With the invaluable assistance of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Corrections Dog Team, Peterson was located at an address in Caryville and promptly taken into custody.”
Peterson has been charged with two counts of kidnapping-false imprisonment and one count of obstructing justice.
GARRETT VALCOURT