York, SC driver, passenger kidnapped, forced into cop chase by wanted man, deputies say
A York County man has been charged with kidnapping after he allegedly threatened a driver and passenger in a minivan if they pulled over for deputies during a chase, York County Sheriff’s Office records show.
Jarvis Kenta Tims, 39, of Clover, was charged Tuesday with two counts of kidnapping and failure to stop after the pursuit that went from Rock Hill to York, according to sheriff’s office and York County court records.
Tims was wanted by law enforcement before the pursuit, said Trent Faris, spokesman for the sheriff’s office.
In addition to charges related to the kidnapping and failure to stop from the chase, Tims was served arrest warrants charging him with first-degree domestic violence, first-degree assault and battery, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, York County jail and sheriff’s office records show.
The chase
Deputies attempted to stop a Toyota van in Rock Hill on Heckle Boulevard near Old Pointe School Road around 2 a.m. Tuesday. The van fled onto Celanese Road toward York, sheriff records show. The pursuit went for miles through the Newport community on S.C. 161 and ended on Paraham Road, deputies said.
Deputies used stop sticks -- a device laid across the road -- to puncture a tire and stop the van, records show.
The driver and passenger said they had initially given Tims a ride, the report stated.
During the pursuit a side door of the van opened and deputies could see arms flailing, according to a sheriff’s office incident report. The van jerked from side to side during the chase, deputies said in the report.
The male driver and another female passenger in the car told deputies that Tims, the front seat passenger during the pursuit, threatened to kill them if they stopped, according to sheriff records.
The female passenger told deputies she opened the van door to try and jump out but the van was going too fast, according to the incident report.
The driver and passenger told deputies Tims reached over the van’s center console and accelerated the van with his foot while grabbing the steering wheel, deputies said in the report.
The driver and other passenger were not charged and are listed in the incident report as victims, records show. Both were released by deputies after the incident, according to the incident report.
Suspect denies allegations, remains jailed
The report stated Tims denied the allegations the others in the van. Tims told deputies the driver refused to stop for law enforcement, according to the report.
A conviction for kidnapping in South Carolina carries up to 30 years in prison, state law shows. The assault, weapon, and domestic violence charges are also felonies.
Tims remains in the York County jail without bail after an initial court hearing, court records show.
