Suspect jumps bail, winds up in sticky situation

[movieguy]

Suspect jumps bail, winds up in sticky situation

BY JOHN FERAK

WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

An Omaha man who jumped bail in Iowa was delivered to the Harrison County Jail - beaten and wrapped in duct tape - by the woman who originally posted his bail, authorities said.

The woman and another man now sit in the jail, accused in the beating, and the woman might not get her money back.

The 40-year-old Omaha woman forfeited $5,000 after the man failed to appear at a court hearing on an attempted burglary charge, Sheriff Terry Baxter said Thursday. A warrant was issued for his arrest.

But authorities said someone else got to him first.

Baxter said that when the 38-year-old man came to the woman's Omaha house late Wednesday, he was beaten, blindfolded and driven about 35 miles to the jail in Logan, Iowa.

The man was found when a Logan police officer was called to the jail about 11 p.m. Wednesday on what sounded like a routine call: Someone had dropped off a fugitive.

The officer found the man.

"He was in the back seat, completely restrained in duct tape, all across his head and facial area," Baxter said. "He looked like he had been beat up pretty badly."

The man was treated at a hospital and returned to the jail.

Although authorities were pleased Thursday to have the burglary suspect in custody, they weren't giving out any pats on the back.

The woman and a 30-year-old Omaha man were arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment, serious assault, and aiding and abetting a fugitive.

Officers said there may be more suspects in the beating.

"In 26 years in law enforcement, I've never seen anything like this," Baxter said. "You might say it was vigilante justice, but this isn't the proper way to handle anything."

Contact the Omaha World-Herald newsroom

Copyright ©2004 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved.

omaha.com