LOUISA COUNTY, Va. – An abductor is in custody as the search for Isabel Hicks came to a happy end Wednesday night when Virginia police found the 14-year-old unharmed inside a car with the suspect.
Police took 33-year-old Bruce William Lynch Jr., who was wanted on a felony abduction warrant, into custody after a nine-day search.
“The Louisa County Sheriff’s Office is happy to report that the vehicle with Isabel Hicks and Bruce Lynch was located and stopped in Caroline County after a pursuit,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook. “Bruce Lynch was taken into custody and Isabel Hicks was located and appears unharmed.”
Hicks had disappeared from her home in Bumpass at around 1 a.m. on Oct. 21. As a result, the FBI joined the investigation the following day. Consequently, investigators issued an Amber Alert on Oct. 25 when they learned Lynch possessed a gun and had “recent suicidal ideations.”
Lynch was described as the ex-boyfriend of Hicks’ mother, according to WTVR-TV. It was reportedly believed the teen left willingly with Lynch.
The pair surfaced briefly on Monday night when they stopped by the home of Lynch’s mother, Lisa Harper, in Montpelier, the station reported. She told the outlet how she gave her son an ultimatum.
“I told them they can’t be here – they’re wanted,” Harper said. “I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it. My eyes got real wide and I told him he has an ultimatum. Either turn himself in or I’m calling the police.”
Lynch and Hicks ran into the nearby woods, and she alerted police.
Within minutes, deputies set up a perimeter and were searching on the ground and with air support.
The search came to an end Wednesday night when a driver spotted the suspect’s vehicle and called police. Law enforcement located Lynch and Hicks driving in Ladysmith.
Hicks was safe. Lynch was taken into custody.
Last week, family members pleaded for Hicks to reach out and let them know she was OK.
“No matter what happens, I will always love you and you’ll always be my best friend,” said Hicks’ older brother, Blake Saylor.
