A Sierra Vista man was arrested on charges that include kidnapping and attempted murder stemming from an incident that began in the early morning hours at a residence located in east Sierra Vista.
At about 4:14 a.m., a deputy with the Tombstone Marshal’s Office responded to a 911 call placed by a citizen at the Circle K located at 24 North Sumner Street in Tombstone reporting that a woman had apparently been kidnapped and escaped the trunk of a black Ford Mustang. The victim had duct tape binding her feet and wrists. She had reportedly thrown herself out of the trunk and yelled for help. She had injuries consistent with having been severely beaten and she reported that she had been kidnapped from an east side residence in Sierra Vista. The suspect fled the convenience store and headed toward Bisbee on State Route 80 prior to law enforcement’s arrival.
Responding to an attempt to locate broadcast put out by the Tombstone Marshal’s Office, a Bisbee Police Department officer located the black Ford Mustang traveling about 75 mph in a 45 mph zone on State Route 80 near mile marker 341. The officer performed a high risk traffic stop and took the suspect, identified as 30-year-old Sierra Vista resident Christopher Gray, into custody at gunpoint at about 4:44 a.m.
Sierra Vista Police Department detectives assumed control of the investigation and took custody of Gray and his vehicle. Detectives found evidence supporting that Gray broke into an eastside Sierra Vista residence in the early morning while the victim was sleeping. Detectives learned that Gray beat the victim severely, tied her wrists and ankles with duct tape, and forced her into the passenger compartment of his car. He continued beating the woman repeatedly while in transit.
Gray then doused the victim with a flammable liquid and unsuccessfully attempted to ignite the kidnapped woman somewhere in the desert between Bisbee and Tombstone. Gray traveled to Tombstone with the victim in the trunk of his car to purchase a gas can and gasoline at the Circle K on Sumner Street. At this point the victim pulled the emergency latch on the trunk, escaped the vehicle, and yelled for help.
At this time, Gray is being held at the Cochise County Jail in Bisbee without bond on charges of domestic violence/kidnapping, domestic violence/aggravated assault, and attempted first-degree murder.
SVPD detectives believe several people in Tombstone were present at the Circle K parking lot and observed the victim escape the trunk of Gray’s Mustang. Any witnesses or anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call SVPD Detective Justin Dannels at (520) 452-7500.