Primghar, Iowa — An Archer man facing a kidnapping charge after he allegedly forced a woman into a car and drove away — has pleaded “not guilty” to the charge.
The O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office tells us they arrested 37-year-old Justin Michael Banta of Archer and charged him with Third Degree Kidnapping, a class C Felony; and misdemeanor charges of Domestic Abuse Assault 1st Offense and Driving While Suspended after an incident on May 3rd.
They report that on that afternoon they received a report from a witness that an adult woman was near Neeble Park in Hartley and was taken against her will and forced into a car. The Sheriff’s Office says they found out that the abductor was the woman’s ex-boyfriend and they had allegedly recently broken up. The Sheriff’s Office reports that the Hartley Police department responded to the call and asked for all law enforcement in the area to watch for the vehicle.
The sheriff’s office tells us that a black 2011 Audi and had allegedly left Neeble Park eastbound at a high rate of speed with the woman in his car.
According to the sheriff’s office, an Iowa State Trooper located the vehicle on Highway 59 south of Calumet. An O’Brien County Sheriff’s Deputy and the Hartley Police Chief assisted the State Trooper at the scene of the traffic stop. They tell us that the female victim was recovered.
According to court documents, no further court dates have yet been set.
