CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A man has been arrested after attempting to kidnap someone while at Blue Ridge Parkway, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
In the early morning hours of Thursday, Sept. 28, two victims were sitting in a parked vehicle at Water Rock Knob Overlook off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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Officials say the suspect, 22-year-old Evan William Blankenship, drove next to where the two victims were parked and pointed a semi-automatic pistol at them.
Blankenship allegedly tried to pull one of the victims out of the car by the hair and arm and later hit them across the face causing temporary hearing loss.
According to documents, he fired his weapon in the air before pointing it again at the victims.
One of the victims told investigators that they knew Blankenship through Snapchat and believed he used the app’s sharing feature to find them on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
On Wednesday, Oct. 11, Blankenship was arrested and charged by a grand jury in Charlotte with:
- Kidnapping
- 2 counts of assault with internet to commit a felony
- 2 counts of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm
- Possession and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Officials note that Blankenship’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the federal sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
