A man has been charged and investigations are continuing into an alleged kidnapping in Wagga Wagga earlier this year.
About midnight on Friday 31 July 2020, a 29-year-old man attended a home on Hunter Street, Mount Austin, after being invited by a woman he met through a social media dating application.
On arrival, the man was allegedly threatened with a knife and robbed, before being forced into a car and taken to a second home.
Police have been told the man was kept in the home for approximately seven hours and forced to pay for petrol, before escaping on foot and fleeing to a nearby service station.
Officers from Riverina Police District were alerted a short time later and commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Strike Force Bock was established by Riverina detectives to investigate the alleged kidnapping.
Following extensive inquiries, an 18-year-old man was arrested at Wagga Wagga Police Station yesterday (Tuesday 8 September 2020), and charged with aggravated robbery and deprive person of liberty.
The man was refused bail and appeared in Wagga Wagga Local Court yesterday (Tuesday 8 September 2020), where he was formally refused bail to appear at the same court on Wednesday 4 November 2020.
As inquiries continue, detectives are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
Riverina Police District Crime Manager, Detective Inspector Adrian Telfer, said police believe there are people in the community who are withholding information.
“We don’t believe the 18-year-old man acted alone, and we are dedicating resources to finding out exactly what happened,” Det Insp Telfer said.
“We are alleging the man was lured to the home under false pretences, before being kept against his will. It’s an extremely frightening experience for anyone to go through.”
Investigations are continuing.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or . Information is treated in strict confidence.
