Truck Driver Arrested After Abducting 4-Year-Old and Leading 5-State Manhunt

by Jana Ritter - Published: 10/10/2016

A truck driver whose job made him “very comfortable on highways” alluded authorities on a 5-state manhunt after allegedly abducting 4-year-old Rebecca Lewis from her home in Lakeland, FL on Saturday morning. After several sightings in multiple states, the pair were finally tracked down Monday afternoon when a nurse at a Memphis, TN hospital noticed them in the parking lot and immediately told a security guard to call authorities. The 31-year-old suspect was taken into custody and the little girl is being returned to her family after being checked at the hospital.

                                                                

The suspect who recently legally changed his name to “West Wild Hogs, suffers from depression and bipolar disorder, and does not have a criminal history. According to Rebecca’s parents, Hogs was a family friend who used to live with them until he started behaving strangely after undergoing brain surgery. "He'd do crazy things. He would say obnoxious things," Rebecca’s father, Luther Lewis said. The family finally had to kick him out of their home when he pulled a gun on them, and said they hadn’t seen him since. On Saturday morning, Hogs allegedly snuck into their house unannounced and took the sleeping 4-year-old from her bed. While it still not known what his reasons were for abducting the little girl, it does not seem he had any intention of harming her. However, officials considered her to be in immediate danger and had issued a 5 state Amber Alert in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky. They urged the public to keep their eye out for a stolen 2012 silver Nissan Versa driven by Hogs. It would take several missed sightings across state lines before the nurse quickly acted on her instincts.

                                                                  

Hogs initially left his home in Seale, Alabama with his wife last Monday, telling her, "I have a surprise for you." The "surprise" was driving to Maryland where they rested at a welcome center and then he drove her back to Georgia the next day when she told him she was tired of driving around with him. He agreed to drop her off and she called a family member to come get her. Hogs continued his strange road trip and drove to his grandmother's house in Polk City, FL. surprising her after not seeing her for over a year. He spent the evening with her and then told her he had an interview the next day. Instead, the following Saturday morning he drove to the Lewis’ family home at around 9:30 a.m. and took the sleeping 4-year-old from her bed. Rebecca’s 16-year-old sister told police she had last seen her little sister sleeping at about 9:00 a.m. and when she woke up again at about 9:45, she was not in her bed. According to Rebecca's parents, the family searched the home and surrounding area for over an hour before calling the police. When officers arrived, they continued searching the residence and conducted a house-by-house search of the park with the assistance of Sheriff's Office K-9s and a PCSO helicopter. With no sign of the child, an Amber Alert was issued.

                                                                 

Later surveillance from a local Polk County McDonalds revealed that Hogs had taken Rebecca for breakfast at about 9:45 a.m., after abducting her. While the Lewis’ were able to identify Hogs from the video, it was difficult for law enforcement to track him down in real time, as he does not own a cellphone. The two were next spotted on Saturday evening at a BP gas station in Forsyth, GA, and according to police, it appeared that “Rebecca was in good health.” The next reported sighting occurred the following Sunday evening at around 10-11 p.m. when a park ranger spotted the Nissan in the Cove Lake State Park in Tennessee, near the Kentucky border. The park ranger went to the car to tell Hogs he needed to leave because the park was closed and Hogs told the ranger, "I'm here waiting on her mother. She's coming to pick her up." Not knowing Rebecca was missing, the ranger let them go and then minutes later he came across the bulletin board with the missing child flier and reported the sighting.

According to authorities, Hogs drove back from the Kentucky state line down to Nashville, Tennessee, where he was next spotted at 2:30 a.m. Monday morning. It wasn’t until 12 hours later when authorities finally caught up to them as Hogs was attempting to drive out of the Memphis hospital parking lot.  "I'll probably never let her go," said Luther Lewis at an emotional press conference Monday afternoon. The family thanked law enforcement and the public for their help in getting their little girl back safely.

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