Rynn Prairie-Rocca after his arrest in Pearce, Arizona (KTVK/KPHO/YouTube).
Cops in Arizona have arrested a man after a 75-year-old woman was kidnapped and her boyfriend was found dead in their home.
Deputies with the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office responded around 8:10 p.m. Friday to a report of a woman being kidnapped in Pearce, which is about 80 miles east-southeast of Tucson, according to a press release. The woman said she was in the workshop in the rear of her home around 3 p.m. Friday when a masked man rearing dark clothing came inside and pointed a gun at her.
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The woman told cops the man restrained her and placed a blindfold over her eyes. She subsequently heard several “loud noises” but wasn’t sure what was happening. Once night fell, the suspect moved the victim into her 2007 silver Chevrolet Avalanche and forced her into the back seat, cops wrote. Deputies say the suspect drove away from the home. Seeing an opportunity when the vehicle stopped, the woman broke out of her restraints and made a run for it.
She was able to run to a nearby home for help.
The woman told deputies the man had walked into a Dollar General and believed she was still inside when she was describing the horrifying ordeal to police. She then advised them to check on her boyfriend at her home. Deputies tried to contact anyone inside but received no answer. They forced their way into the home and found the boyfriend, a 67-year-old man, dead.
Meanwhile, cops were able to identify the suspect as 37-year-old Rynn Prairie-Rocca, who was tracked down and caught in the area of Catclaw Road and Highway 181. Prairie-Rocca barricaded himself for about 90 minutes before the cops were able to coax him out. They transported him to the Cochise County Jail. It’s not clear what charges he is facing.
Cops did not say if the incident was random or whether Prairie-Rocca had a connection to the victims. Deputies also did not publicly identify the victims or say how the male victim died. The incident remains under investigation.
