Kidnap suspect arrested
By CHERY SABOL
Whitefish man, 18, found with gun in crawl space of house
The Daily Inter Lake
An 18-year-old Whitefish man was arrested, reportedly armed with a loaded rifle, in the crawl space of a Whitefish-area home Wednesday afternoon after officers kicked open the door of the house.
Jeremiah Sovine, 18, is accused of abducting his former girlfriend on Sunday and leading police on a chase before she escaped and he eluded officers.
It was on Sept. 28 that Sovine allegedly violated an order of protection that prohibited him from contacting the 18-year-old woman. He was arrested in Kalispell and was released on Sept. 29.
Two days later, at about 3 p.m. Sovine reportedly saw the woman driving on Baker Avenue and started following her. When she saw him, she called police, who told her to drive to the police department.
At Stampede Square, Sovine allegedly pulled up next to the woman in a no-passing zone and forced her to pull over in a parking lot. He told her if she didn't talk to him, he would kill himself.
Then Sovine reportedly jerked the woman out of her car, threw her into his, and started a pursuit with Whitefish Police who were in the area. Police said he made sure the woman knew he had a rifle in the back of the car.
He reached speeds of more than 100 mph in a residential area near Whitefish High School, according to a press release from police Chief Bill Dial. After running stop signs and losing control of his vehicle in at least one intersection, Sovine reportedly slowed to 10 to 15 mph at one point and the woman jumped free of the car.
"Sovine then fled the area and has been hiding in the Whitefish area," according to Whitefish Police.
On Monday, officers appeared at Sovine's brother's house in Happy Valley, believing he was inside.
They cleared out neighbors around the Deer Trail home.
Sovine peered from a window in the home and wouldn't answer the door when police knocked, they said.
Police forced open the door of the home and searched it, finally finding Sovine in a crawl space beneath the first floor. He reportedly had a .22-caliber rifle with a round jammed inside it. He was arrested without complications.
Bond was set at $100,000 for the felony charges of criminal endangerment, stalking, and intimidation and a misdemeanor charge of unlawful restraint.
He is awaiting an initial court appearance.