Alert citizen’s call leads to arrest of 29-year-old on kidnapping, rape charges

STANFORD, Ky. (WTVQ) – A 29-year-old North Carolina truck driver is charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl inside a truck, Stanford Police say.

And fortunately, alert citizens may have help stop the alleged assault. Meanwhile, dedicated work by two city leaders helped save an important sentimental momento belonging to the girl.

According to police and Lincoln County Regional Jail records, Noe Bradley Juarez, of Liberty, N.C., is charged with third-degree rape, kidnapping a minor, strangulation, assault, and resisting arrest following the incident.

Police received a call at about 10 p.m., Tuesday of a man chasing a woman down, assaulting her and forcing her back to a semi truck in the area behind Little Caesar in Stanford.

Officer Andy Ferguson and Detective Ryan Kirkpatrick responded and as they arrived “both units could here frantic screaming coming from inside the sleeper area of the semi,” the department said.

When officers “made entry to the cab,” the girl “fled from the cab and jumped from the truck into the officers’ arms,” the department said.

While the girl was being moved to safety, officers removed Juarez from the truck when he wouldn’t obey commands, police said.

Police said they both “came to the area in the semi from out of state and it appeared the female was being held against her will.”

While Juarez was arrested, the teenager was taken to the hospital for treatment and the state Cabinet for Health and Family contacted her family.

That night, the girl told police she had a sentimental item she apparently dropped during “all the commotion.”

Officers returned to the scene and searched with no luck. Wednesday, Police Chaplain Jeremy Johnson went back to search. He was joined by Stanford Mayor Dalton Miller and after an extensive search, Miller found the important item.