PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, VA – A 17-year-old Prince George County girl is back with her family after investigators say she was abducted Wednesday morning from a college parking lot by a former boyfriend who later led police through South Carolina and North Carolina.
Authorities say the girl, who is dual enrolled at Prince George County High School and Richard Bland College, did not return after class and did not contact her family. Investigators found her car in the Richard Bland College parking lot, along with personal belongings that raised immediate concern for her safety.
Her cellphone was also missing, which investigators viewed as especially troubling. By Thursday afternoon, police had recovered the victim and taken the suspect into custody after a long, fast-moving search across state lines.
Investigators say missing car and cellphone quickly raised alarm
Major William Knott of the Dinwiddie County Sheriff’s Office said the case came to the department’s attention when the teen failed to show up after class and never reached out to family members. The empty gap in her routine, combined with her vehicle left behind, prompted investigators to treat the situation as urgent.
Knott said officers found personal items in the vehicle that made them worry about what had happened. The missing cellphone added to that concern, since he noted that a 17-year-old would normally still have the phone if she were safe and able to use it.
That early evidence pushed investigators to focus quickly on the teen’s former boyfriend, Alonzo N. Claiborne, 19, of Prince George County. Authorities say he had no prior criminal record before the abduction case began.
Flock cameras helped deputies track the suspect toward Myrtle Beach
Investigators say technology played a major role in finding Claiborne after the teen disappeared. Using Flock cameras and other available tools, deputies were able to trace the suspect south and narrow the search area.
Knott said the trail led investigators to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. From there, police tried to stop the vehicle, but the situation escalated before they could secure the suspect and the victim.
According to investigators, Claiborne put the teen out of the car and then fled, triggering a South Carolina pursuit. That stop briefly separated the victim from the suspect, but it did not end the search for Claiborne or the effort to recover the girl safely.
South Carolina pursuit ended after suspect stole another vehicle
After escaping the first stop, authorities say Claiborne stole a second vehicle and led police on another chase. The pursuit again ended with him fleeing on foot, extending the search and adding another layer of danger for officers and the public.
Knott said the suspect’s movements showed just how quickly the case shifted from a missing-person response to a multi-state manhunt. Police in South Carolina continued working the case while investigators in Virginia tracked the broader pattern of movement.
The teen remained out of the car and away from the suspect by then, but authorities still needed to locate both the man and the stolen vehicle. The repeated vehicle switches and foot flight complicated the effort to bring the case under control.
North Carolina Flock alert led to final arrest in the Intracoastal Waterway
Late Thursday afternoon, another Flock camera alert in Pender County, North Carolina, helped investigators close in on the suspect again. The sheriff’s office located the vehicle, and Claiborne got out and ran before returning to the vehicle and fleeing once more.
When officers finally stopped him and placed him in handcuffs, Claiborne jumped into the Intracoastal Waterway. A boat then pulled him out of the water, ending the chase that had stretched across three states.
Authorities have not detailed every charge in the public account, but they say Claiborne is facing multiple charges in Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The case moved rapidly from a campus parking lot to a waterway rescue in less than two days.
Family, classmates and investigators say the girl’s return brings relief
Officials said the victim is now back in Virginia with her family. Knott called her safe return the most important result of the case and said it gave her relatives the peace of mind they had been waiting for.
A friend of the teen, who asked not to be identified, said learning that someone she knew had been abducted from campus was frightening. She said it made her nervous because, in her words, scary people are out there and nobody deserves to go through that.
The friend said she felt better once she learned the teen had been found. For investigators, the case ended with a rescue and arrest, but it also left the community with a vivid reminder of how quickly an ordinary school day can turn dangerous.
