Blue Ridge — On 12/15/2020 the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office was attempting to locate a male suspect and female victim who was reportedly forced into a vehicle south of Flagstaff, Arizona, along Interstate 17 in the late morning hours.

At 1157 hours the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the Mustang Gas Station at Clint’s Wells along Hwy 87, reporting the vehicle involved from the incident on I-17 in the area. The caller reported a female passenger strapped/tied to the front passenger seat in a white in colored 4dr Jeep Wrangler with a black top. The reporting party then followed the suspect vehicle south along Highway 87 from Clint’s Wells until the suspect turned off on to Forest Service Road 141 east.

The Reporting party obtained and reporting the vehicle information to the 911 dispatch center. The vehicle returned to a subject out of Scottsdale, Arizona. During the investigation it was learned a Brandon Thomas Stewart of Scottsdale, was in possession of the vehicle in question.

Pings on the phone lead the Sheriff’s Office, Navajo County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Public Safety Helicopter to begin Searching the area east of Highway 87 and north of Forest Service road 300.

Later in the evening the suspect vehicle was located, and a high-risk traffic stop was conducted by DPS and Navajo County Sheriff’s Office at mile post 283 on Interstate 40.

The driver Brandon Stewart was taken into custody without incident and the female victim was located uninjured. Brandon Stewart was transported to the Navajo County Detention facility and booked on charges of Unlawful Imprisonment. Further charges are pending.

This incident is still under investigation and no further information is currently available. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Public Safety for their assistance in this incident.