New Garden chief: Cross-country teamwork ended harrowing ordeal
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
Police said Jorge Paramo-Mora, 28, of Habersham, Ga., used a ruse to kidnap his estranged wife and son in New Garden Township.
The discovery of a 14-year-old New Garden Township girl who had been abandoned Sunday on U.S. 1 near Oxford led to a kidnapping investigation that resulted in the safe retrieval of a mother and son 680 miles away on Monday, police said today.
“This case really speaks volumes about the dedication and cooperation of men and women in law-enforcement across the country,” said New Garden Township Police Chief Gerald R. Simpson. “This could have had tragic consequences; situations like this often don’t end well.”
Simpson gave this account of what occurred:
A 21-year-old Hispanic woman, who is not being identified by police, moved to New Garden Township from Habersham County in Georgia about three months ago with her 5-year-old son to live with relatives and escape an abusive relationship and death threats from her estranged husband, Jorge Paramo-Mora, 28, of Habersham, Ga.
Jeremy Scott Neace, 28, of Cornelia, Ga., is accused of being an accomplice in the alleged kidnapping of a New Garden Township mother and her 5-year-old son.
Paramo-Mora arrived unannounced at the woman’s residence on Saturday, initiating arguments about custody and visitations. On Sunday, he said he wanted to take his son shopping. The woman refused to let the boy go alone since Paramo-Mora had previously threatened to abduct him, but she reluctantly agreed to the trip if both she and her 14-year-old sister could go.
In the area of West Cypress Street and Scarlett Road, Paramo-Mora mentioned stopping for food. After parking near McDonald’s, two accomplices jumped into the vehicle, and Paramo-Mora said he planned to take the mother and her son to Georgia against their will. The three victims were locked into the vehicle and the 14-year-old’s cellphone was seized about 1 p.m. A short time later, the teen was forced out of the vehicle on U.S. 1 near Oxford.
What the alleged captors didn’t realize was that the teen’s sister had slipped her another phone so she was able to call 9-1-1 immediately. Simpson said state police responded and contacted township police, who began alerting authorities along the likely travel route.
Simpson said Sgt. Jonathan Segars of the Banks County, Ga., Sheriff’s Office heard the initial “Be-on-the-Look-Out (BOLO) broadcast while he was working on Sunday. The next day, he was off-duty and running personal errands when he spotted Paramo-Mora’s vehicle. He called his office to confirm the vehicle’s status and then coordinated a traffic stop.
Johnny Len Anglin, 30, of Cornelia, Ga., is awaiting extradition with his two alleged co-conspirators to Pennsylvania on kidnapping charges.
Simpson said Segars’ quick response resulted in the rescue of the mother and child and the arrests of Paramo-Mora; Jeremy Scott Neace, 28, of Cornelia, Ga,; and Johnny Len Anglin, 30, also of Cornelia. The three defendants were remanded to Banks County Prison. They will remain there until extradition to Pennsylvania, where they face charges that include three counts of kidnapping, unlawful restraint, and related offenses, Simpson said.
Simpson said that the mother’s relatives drove to Georgia to retrieve her and her son and that she is relieved and grateful to be home. The chief said he has spoken to the Banks County Sheriff to thank him personally for the efforts of his staff, especially Segars.
“This is the kind of case where you don’t rest comfortably until it’s brought to a safe conclusion,” Simpson said. “Kudos to everyone who worked on it … It was good police work from start to finish.”
