Man is charged with kidnapping
By Terry Murry on Monday, June 27th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
The following is a news release from Pendleton Police Chief Chuck Byram
June 25, 2022 at 10:11 a.m., several 911 reports were received from witnesses at Wal Mart, 2203 SW Court Avenue, reporting a female screaming for help in a vehicle in the parking lot. Several witnesses who called 911 reported what appeared to be an abduction, as the suspect male took a victim female by force and sped out of the parking lot. Witnesses were able to provide a good vehicle description and location of travel. While officers were responding to the call, the female in the vehicle in question called 911 screaming that she had an emergency before the line was disconnected. The female called again screaming for help and stated that her boyfriend was hitting her before the call was disconnected again. The female victim, before the line was disconnected, gave her location as passing a business in the 1400 block of SE Court Avenue. The female victim called 911 again advising that the suspect male was in possession of a hammer and she was in fear that he was going to use it against her. Before the line was disconnected again, the victim female gave their location as approaching I-84 213 eastbound on-ramp.
Responding officers were able to locate the vehicle on I-84 approaching the 216 exit. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the suspect male driver refused to stop. The suspect male took exit 216 with Pendleton Police Department officers in pursuit on South Market Road. A high-speed pursuit continued for approximately 10 minutes. By this time, assisting units from Umatilla Tribal Police, Oregon State Police and Umatilla County Sheriff’s Department were in the area. The suspect male driver ultimately abandoned the vehicle and the victim female in a field at the end of Marsh Hawk Lane, where the suspect male barricaded himself in a barn. After about fifteen minutes of unsuccessful negotiations with the suspect male, officers entered the barn and took the male into custody at 10:59 a.m. While taking the male suspect into custody, he was actively smoking fentanyl in the barn. Officers arrested Charles Fredrick Seeling, a 34-year-old male with a Tillamook address on the following charges:
- Assault IV-Domestic Violence
- Kidnapping I
- Attempt to Elude-Vehicle
- Reckless Driving
- Driving While Suspended-Misdemeanor
- Warrants out of Tillamook and Clatsop Counties
The victim female was attended to by medical personnel and was not transported to the hospital. This case will be sent to the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Office once all reports are compiled. The Pendleton Police Department would like to thank all of the concerned citizens who reported this incident. Additionally, we would also like to thank all of our law enforcement partners for assisting us with this incident.
