Man is arrested in abduction try

8/31/2002

A Toledo man accused of abducting a woman from a Lewis Avenue apartment yesterday was arrested several hours later after he led police on a brief car chase in the north end, police said.

The woman jumped from the vehicle when she saw a police car, just before the chase began, police said.

Marc Cotton, 21, of 2508 Locust St. was charged with one count each of kidnapping, aggravated burglary, and fleeing and eluding. He was being held in the Lucas County Jail pending arraignment in Toledo Municipal Court.

The woman, Caprice James, 20, of Tecumseh Street, was not hurt.

Cotton is accused of abducting Ms. James, whom police said he knew, at 5:15 p.m. from 5553 Lewis, where she was visiting a friend, Detective Paul Tetuan said.

Cotton kicked down the apartment door, grabbed Ms. James by the neck, threatened to kill her, and forced her to go with him in his car. Two of Cotton's friends took her car, the detective said.

Ms. James' friend called police and provided details about the abduction and descriptions of the cars. About 7:45 p.m., officers spotted one of the vehicles on Mulberry Street near Sherman Street. Ms. James, who was a passenger in the car, jumped from the vehicle and ran to safety when she saw the police car, the detective said.

Officers chased the car on Mulberry to Moore Street to Stickney Avenue to the 1300 block of Yates Street, where Cotton jumped out of the vehicle and ran through an alley toward Mulberry. The car rolled into a light pole. Officers tackled Cotton nearby and arrested him, the detective said.

Police are looking for the other two men involved in the abduction, the detective said.