RALEIGH, W.Va. – The teenage victim in a Raleigh County kidnapping is recovering from a 24-hour ordeal that made her the subject of a statewide Amber Alert.
“She was hungry. We got her some food. She had some minor injuries, some bruises. She was banged up a little bit. But, overall, she was doing okay,” described Detective Josh Stewart of the Beckley Police Department.
Jaddah Lashay Rodgers, 16 of Beckley, was discovered in a wooded area off U.S. Route 19 near the community of Raleigh Thursday afternoon.
Her accused abductor, 20-year-old Lawrence Asbury, was arrested Thursday evening in the same area after running from police when Rodgers was discovered.
A concerned citizen notified authorities of something suspicious in the Walgreens parking lot in Robert C. Byrd Drive in Beckley at around 6 p.m. Wednesday.
“A lady called 911 and reported what she saw. Patrol units went to the store where it happened and began an initial investigation,” said the detective.
Stewart added that the Amber Alert, social media and media reports spread quickly.
“The assistance we got with getting information out basically gave everybody in the community the information they needed to be our eyes and ears and report that information back to us. Ultimately it was a tip from the community that led to this arrest and us finding this victim as well.”
Asbury is being held without bail in the Southern Regional Jail.