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Northampton Co. deputies arrest alleged kidnapping suspect after hours-long standoff, evasion

Posted at 6:26 PM, Apr 11, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-11 18:26:07-04

NORTHAMPTON CO., N.C. – After a lengthy pursuit, deputies with the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office arrested and served outstanding warrants to a man wanted in connection to kidnapping.

Kylen Padgett, Jr. of Wilmington, North Carolina, was arrested late Monday night. He was served outstanding warrants for three counts of probation violation and one count of kidnapping, all out of New Hanover County. Authorities served him an additional warrant for resisting, delaying and obstructing arrest.

Deputies say the sheriff’s office received a call form the Enviva Pellet Plant outside of Garysburg, North Carolina, around 3:15 a.m. Monday. They were advised that a man armed with a handgun was held up in a tractor trailer truck and had allegedly kidnapped the truck driver, forcing him to drive from New Hanover County.

When authorities arrived at the scene, they attempted to negotiate with Padgett Jr., who refused to comply. Officers were able to deploy pepper spray in the cab of the truck after about three hours of standoff.

Approximately 30 seconds later, Padgett Jr. exited the truck’s cab through the driver’s side window with his hands held high, appearing to surrender. At that point, he climbed through the rafters of the building, never setting foot on the ground.

Throughout the day, officers were able to see and hear Padgett Jr. through the rafters and steel beams of the building’s interior roof but were unable to negotiate with him. They also failed to reach his position since he was wedged in between the building’s exterior wall and steel beams.

The plant was shut down until officers were able to capture Padgett Jr. Plant employees worked with authorities in the pursuit by using a construction machine lift to hoist officers to the part of the building where Padgett Jr. was last seen.

Around 4 p.m. on the date of the incident, officers located Padgett Jr. within the building’s walls; however, he escaped after a brief negotiation with law enforcement and a refusal to comply with their commands.

Officials stayed at the scene, and around 11:30 p.m. they were able to cut additional holes in the opposite west side of the building, where they again tried to negotiate with Padgett Jr. They were eventually able to apprehend Padgett Jr. after he gave up from exhaustion. He was provided medical care before being taken to the Northampton County Jail.

No officers were said to have been injured during this pursuit.

Padgett Jr. is currently being held in the Northampton County Jail on $326,000 secured bond. He is scheduled to be in court on April 16.