"Truck driver arrested in Sturbridge, accused of kidnapping internet date" by Brian Lee, Worcester Telegram & Gazette February 11, 2015
STURBRIDGE — A 27-year-old truck driver from Waddell, Ariz., was ordered held on $2,000 bail Tuesday on charges he met a woman from his home state on a dating website, kidnapped her, drove across the country with her, and threatened to harm her, police said.
Lester Richmond Jr. pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Dudley District Court to kidnapping and threatening to commit a crime.
Richmond was ordered to return to court for a pretrial hearing on March 10.
According to the police report, at 9:20 p.m., police learned the woman was at the Sturbridge Host Hotel on Route 20.
They had learned of the license plate number on the suspect’s tractor-trailer, which was at the New England Truck Stop being worked on.
Police went to his hotel room and arrested Richmond.
The woman told police she had been with Richmond for about three weeks, the report said.
She said she had met him on the website Plenty of Fish.
Before meeting they had exchanged messages for about two months, the woman told police.
She said they discussed a four-day trip to Alabama, where her family was from, police said.
But after the first day, she said, she woke up and learned that Richmond had driven to Michigan. She said she became concerned about the detour, police said.
After they drove through various other states, she said she began to think that Richmond was not going to take her home. She said he pressured her to be his girlfriend, police said.
When she asked to go home, he threatened to leave her in the middle of nowhere or at truck stops with prostitutes, the report said.
He also allegedly threatened to take her to people he knew in the Mafia who would hurt her. She said he made her believe he was on the phone with mob affiliates.
The woman told police that she did not resist when Richmond touched her. She said she believed that if she acted like Richmond’s girlfriend, he would take her home. When she had told him that they could only be friends, he got upset, she told police.
Earlier Monday, while in Boston, Richmond allegedly got upset because she would not get in bed with him, the report said.
She said he pushed her out the door, causing her to fall face-first on snow. She said he called her racial slurs when she got back in the truck, the report said.
After his truck broke down and they checked in to the hotel, the woman said, she was able to message her friends about the alleged kidnapping from the hotel using the facility’s wireless Internet service.
Tucson police said the woman was reported missing on Feb. 4.
Richmond told police he believed the entire trip was consensual.
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