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Judge orders bond investigation for man accused in Columbia kidnapping

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boone County judge ordered a bond investigation for a man charged with kidnapping after he allegedly jumped into a woman's car and took her for an unwanted ride.

And the woman shared her story on social media to bring attention to the incident.

The Fayette woman was driving Thursday on Interstate 70 and pulled over at the Drury Inn off the Stadium Boulevard exit, according to a probable cause statement. William J. Pope, 40, jumped into the driver's seat after she got out to inspect her car and took her for an unwanted ride, the statement says. Pope returned to the Drury Inn after the woman's father yelled at him over the phone, police say.

The kidnapping happened in broad daylight at 1:30 p.m. Pope asked to take her to Colorado or a casino, to which she replied no, according to the police report.

Prosecutors charged Pope with first-degree kidnapping and tampering with a motor vehicle Friday. Pope remained in the Boone County Jail on Tuesday with a $50,000 cash bond.

In his arraignment Monday afternoon, a bond investigation was ordered. If Pope doesn't bail out of jail beforehand, he'll have a bond hearing on Nov. 30 at 1 p.m.

No attorney was listed for Pope in online court records.

The victim shared a post on social media warning travelers to always be aware of their surroundings. ABC 17 News is not naming her to protect her identity.

"The idea of a kidnapping seems fake, at least to me it did. we hear stories but it never feels real until it happens to you or someone you know," the woman wrote.

Article Topic Follows: Crime

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Hannah Falcon

Hannah joined the ABC 17 News Team from Houston, Texas, in June 2021. She graduated from Texas A&M University. She was editor of her school newspaper and interned with KPRC in Houston. Hannah also spent a semester in Washington, D.C., and loves political reporting.

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