Conn. State Police Troopers Rescue Kidnapped Woman at Rest Stop

MADISON, CT — Connecticut State Police say troopers rescued a woman who Rhode Island authorities said was kidnapped in their state early Thursday morning.

Angel Martinez, 23, of Providence, R.I., was wanted out of that city in a kidnapping, state police said. Connecticut State Police Troop F in Westbrook received information that he was driving a Jeep that was involved in an armed abduction of a woman, the agency said in a news release.

After putting out a "be on the lookout" for the Jeep about 1:55 a.m. Thursday, troopers were able to ping Martinez's location at a rest stop off of Interstate 95 in Madison with one of the troopers confirming the vehicle was there, the release said.

The trooper identified Martinez who was with a woman and called for additional troopers, state police said.

When they arrived, Martinez was asked to get out of the car, the release said. He was handcuffed while police positively identified the woman with him as the victim of the Rhode Island kidnapping, state police said.

When asked if there were any weapons in the Jeep, police said Martinez told troopers there was a gun in a bag behind the front passenger seat. After locating the gun, Martinez was charged by Connecticut State Police with carrying a pistol without a permit and illegal possession of a firearm.

He was held on $5,000 bond and scheduled to appear Thursday in state Superior Court in New Haven where he was served with a warrant as a fugitive from justice. After his appearance, Martinez was held on $250,000 bond, state police said.

Information was unavailable Friday morning on whether he waived extradition to Rhode Island to face kidnapping charges there.

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