A woman kidnapped from Phoenix helps save herself after she seized an opportunity to pass a note to a customer at a northern Arizona gas station.

On August 22nd at 5 p.m. a woman at a Chevron in Seligman, Arizona signaled another customer and passed a note that gave her name and asked the customer to call 911 saying she had been kidnapped. The note included a description of the van the woman was in, a phone number, and said that they were going to Kingman and Las Vegas.

The customer called 911 and YCSO Deputies responded immediately. The customer relayed that the van had just left westbound on I-40, and provided descriptions of the clothing for both the woman and the man with whom she was traveling.

YCSO alerted the Department of Public Safety to assist in locating the van, which they were able to do at Mile Post 116 on I-40. The adult female victim and a 41-year-old male Jacob Wilhoit were detained without incident.

During this time, YCSO 911 Dispatchers determined that the victim had been reported missing by her mother and entered as missing/endangered earlier that afternoon. The entry mentioned Jacob Wilhoit by name as a person of interest.

Upon investigation, detectives learned that Wilhoit had abducted her from a car dealership in the Phoenix area on Monday morning at approximately 7 a.m. When a car drove up to the victim, she assumed it was the Uber she had ordered. Unbeknownst to her, Wilhoit was wearing a wig and pretending to be an Uber driver. The victim reported to police that Wilhoit restrained her at some point during their drive towards Las Vegas. They spent the night at a Lake Mead park.

Police discovered multiple firearms in WIlhoit’s car in plain view. Preliminary reports show a history of harassment from Wilhoit to the victim. This effort to kidnap her was planned and intentional and the disguise he wore during the time of pick up at the dealership allowed the victim to have her guard down.

Wilhoit was ultimately booked on charges of Harassment, Threatening, and Intimidating, Aggravated Assault, Unlawful Imprisonment, Kidnapping, along with several other Assault charges.

The victim’s extraordinary action in passing the note, the customer’s willingness to assist, and the quick actions of YCSO and DPS saved the victim from her kidnapper and allowed her to return home with her family.

To avoid fake rideshare drivers authorities advise anyone ordering an Uber or Lyft ride to make sure the car that arrives has the company branded special signature stickers on the windshields. Before you enter the vehicle, verify that the car matches the description that is provided in your app and the license plate is correct. Also communicate with a family member or friend on the description of the vehicle you are in. It is also recommended before closing the door, check to make sure the children’s safety lock is not on.