NC sleepover kidnapping ends with suspect in custody after 12-year-old escapes

A 12-year-old girl at a sleepover in Lillington, NC, was allegedly abducted by her friend’s uncle, Daniel Gear, who forced her into his truck and toward the woods before she escaped when he parked behind an Erwin DMV office; a passing motorist, Jennifer Maxwell, found the shoeless, scratched girl and helped her reach police. Gear was arrested after a seven-hour manhunt and charged with first-degree kidnapping and assault, with bond set at $2.5 million; his next court date is Sept. 1.