PUEBLO, Colo. — A Fort Collins man is accused of kidnapping a woman in Aurora late Sunday night and driving her for four hours against her will until he was stopped by law enforcement in southern Colorado.
According to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office (PCSO), deputies were called out for a robbery at a Circle K, located at 8950 Interstate 25 in Colorado City. The deputies learned the suspect had left the store in a 2020 gray Ford Escape.
At the same time, a woman called the sheriff's office to report that her daughter had been kidnapped and her phone was pinging near the Colorado City Circle K. The Ford Escape used in the robbery matched the victim's vehicle.
A deputy patrolling Interstate 25 spotted the Ford Escape heading northbound near the Pueblo Boulevard exit. The deputy tried to pull over the vehicle, but the driver fled southbound on I-25, according to the sheriff's office.
PCSO said the driver led deputies on a "dangerous, high-speed pursuit" through south Pueblo County into Huerfano County. The driver reportedly refused to stop, crossed the median multiple times, and endangered other drivers.
Huerfano County deputies deployed stop sticks at mile marker 67, north of Walensburg, and deflated the vehicle's tires, but the driver kept going. Pueblo County deputies then performed a PIT maneuver and, with help from the Huerfano County Sheriff's Office, boxed the vehicle in near mile marker 64.
The driver, identified as Shane McSwane, 28, of Fort Collins, was taken into custody at gunpoint. The kidnapped woman was rescued from the back of the vehicle. While she was "visibly shaken and emotionally distraught," she was not physically injured, according to PCSO.
“I want to commend our deputies as well as the Huerfano County Sheriff’s Office for their swift, professional, and courageous actions during this highly dangerous situation. Their decisive response saved this victim’s life,” said Pueblo County Sheriff David J. Lucero in a statement. “We are thankful this ended without harm to the victim and the public.”
According to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office, the woman was carjacked around 11 p.m. Sunday while she was stopped near Interstate 225 and Interstate 70 in Aurora for a traffic crash. The woman told investigators that McSwane approached her vehicle and forced his way in, threatening her and taking control of the Ford Escape.
The woman said McSwane drove her for nearly four hours against her will, going as far south as Aguilar. During the drive, McSwane allegedly made repeated sexual comments to the victim, touched her inappropriately, and forced her to touch him.
After stopping in Aguilar for gas, McSwane drove northbound on I-25 before stopping at the Circle K in Colorado City. He allegedly threatened to shoot the clerk if she didn't give him a lighter. The clerk was not injured, according to PCSO.
McSwane was arrested and booked into the Pueblo County Jail on 10 charges, including:
- Second-degree kidnapping
- Two counts of aggravated robbery
- Unlawful sexual contact
- Second-degree motor vehicle theft
- Two counts of menacing with a deadly weapon
- Felony vehicular eluding
- Reckless driving
- Driving under restraint
According to the sheriff's office, McSwane could face additional charges. During his arrest, deputies reportedly found the victim's debit card and drug paraphernalia.
The sheriff's office said the woman's Ford Escape was seized, pending a search warrant.
The investigation into the incident is active and ongoing, according to PCSO.
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