The Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) announced the successful rescue of a second kidnapping victim in just one week, following the earlier recovery of a 13-year-old girl in a separate incident.
This time, authorities apprehended 18-year-old Ethan Cundiff from Rockport, Indiana, who was allegedly traveling through Wyoming with a juvenile girl reported as a runaway from Colorado on October 24,.
The incident began when Cheyenne Police received a request from the Westminster Police Department regarding a runaway case. They believed the juvenile was in Cheyenne with an individual she had met online. At approximately 9 a.m., an officer spotted Cundiff’s vehicle near the 5700 block of Education Drive. When the officer attempted to approach the car, Cundiff sped away, prompting a high-speed chase towards Interstate 25.
WHP troopers and deputies from the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office joined the pursuit, which saw Cundiff driving recklessly and at high speeds. Officers deployed spike strips to stop the vehicle, successfully bringing the chase to a halt along the interstate. Cundiff complied with law enforcement commands and was arrested without further incident.
He has since been booked into the Laramie County Jail on multiple charges, including kidnapping, reckless driving, fleeing and eluding, interference of custody, and possession of marijuana. Additionally, he was found to have an extraditable warrant out of Indiana.
The juvenile victim, unharmed, has been safely reunited with her family. The WHP reported that no injuries occurred during the pursuit, although one trooper’s vehicle was struck by the suspect’s car as they prepared for a tactical intervention.
This incident follows a previous rescue on October 21, where WHP troopers and Rawlins police detained a suspect who had abducted a 13-year-old girl from South Dakota. That case also ended positively, with the girl being recovered shortly after her abduction was reported.
County 10, Cap City News, and Cowboy State Daily contributed to this report.
