Arizona man charged in connection to Utah kidnapping that ends in GI
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — An Arizona man faces charges after he was found inside a vehicle in Grand Island with an abducted Utah teen.
Tadashi Kojima, 26, of Tucson, Arizona, is charged in Hall County Court with kidnapping and resisting arrest. Kojima is also identified as Aaron Zeman, Hunter Fox and Hunter Wolf.
According to KUTV, our sister station in Salt Lake City, Utah, an Amber Alert was issued for a 13-year-old boy who was in danger after being taken by Kojima, who is not his family member.
POLICE CANCEL AMBER ALERT ISSUED OUT OF LAYTON, UTAH FOR 13-YEAR-OLD BOY
An arrest affidavit says that on Nov. 29, the boy’s father reported his son was having inappropriate, sexual conversations with a man later determined to be Kojima. The conversations reportedly started when the boy was playing Roblox online.
On Monday, the affidavit says, the boy went missing after he allegedly arranged to meet Kojima and go with him in his car.
Just before 2 a.m. Wednesday, Grand Island Police responded to a suspicious vehicle call at Git ‘N Split, 3320 Langenheder St. Capt. Jim Duering said an individual at the gas station reported a white Toyota Avalon, driven by Kojima, pulled up to a gas pump, sat there without anyone getting out of the vehicle, turned around and went the wrong way down the road before parking again.
When officers arrived on scene, it was determined the vehicle was associated with the Utah Amber Alert.
GIPD said they ordered Kojima to exit his vehicle and that he resisted arrest. He was eventually placed in handcuffs.
On Wednesday, a judge set Kojima's bond at 10% of $1 million. He is scheduled to appear in Hall County Court at 2 p.m. Jan. 30.
Duering said moving forward, GIPD will work with the Layton City Police Department in Utah or with federal law enforcement authorities on the case.
KUTV reported Layton, Utah police are working to get the victim back to his family and work out the multi-faceted case ahead of them, which includes multiple states and jurisdictions.
AMBER ALERT ACTIVATED OUT OF LAYTON, UTAH FOR 13-YEAR-OLD BOY BELIEVED TO BE HEADED OUT OF STATE
"We're working with family members to get out there and reunify with the victim, you know, get him back with his family," said Layton City Police Department Lt. Travis Lyman. "Then we'll work with our federal partners and law enforcement out there in Nebraska to determine charges and who may be handling what parts of this investigation."
