A convicted sex offender in Florida is facing more charges after being found with a missing child in his vehicle.
The offender, identified as 60-year-old Darnell Hairston, has been charged with kidnapping a child under 13, aggravated child abuse, assault by strangulation, and robbery with a deadly weapon, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO). First Coast News reported these developments on Saturday.
A concerned citizen contacted the FCSO about “suspicious activity,” prompting deputies to conduct a traffic stop near Whiteview Parkway. In the truck, they found Hairston along with an 11-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy named Junior Bishop, both of whom had been missing since New Year’s Eve.
When approached by officers, the younger child claimed he had been kidnapped and expressed fear for his life. Officers then placed him in their patrol car as Hairston attempted to flee the scene.
Video footage shows him swerving in front of a white truck, tripping, and falling onto the road. Deputies quickly closed in on him as the truck sped away.
Meanwhile, Bishop reportedly jumped into a truck and sped off, barely missing the deputies trying to apprehend Hairston.
Officers chased after the boy, and a police vehicle attempted to slow the truck down. However, the truck collided with the police car, leading to both vehicles crashing off the side of the road.
Another deputy also lost control and crashed into a store during this chaos. Thankfully, two deputies sustained only minor injuries.
In a press release, the FCSO revealed that the boy had been reported missing three days prior. After being found, he was taken to a hospital for treatment and interviewed by investigators.
During his interview, the boy recounted being led to a campsite where Hairston strangled him until he passed out. Upon regaining consciousness, he stated that he had been threatened with a knife and a gun, bound with shoelaces and an extension cord, and had duct tape over his mouth. He described being held captive at the campsite for several days, moving around the truck’s floorboard, covered by a blanket.
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Detectives from both the FCSO and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office conducted a thorough interrogation of Hairston. They determined he was aware that the child was missing and in danger but couldn’t explain why he had taken the child from his parents while law enforcement was actively searching for him.
Bishop has been arrested on multiple charges related to fleeing the traffic stop, and the FCSO has named him as a potential accomplice in the kidnapping.
According to reports, Hairston is a known individual in the Flagler Estates area. Authorities believe the younger child may have been connected to the 15-year-old and may have mentioned something in a group chat about alleged sexual misconduct involving an adult.
As noted by the sheriff’s office, Hairston has a lengthy criminal record, including a prior sentence of 12 years for false imprisonment, from which he was released after just five years. Sheriff Rick Staley expressed frustration, saying, “This is a highly suspicious incident… I’m baffled as to why a person with such a history was released so soon.”
