Alabama man accused of abducting woman, staging 'mock' wedding

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An Alabama man is facing several charges after he allegedly abducted a woman at a convenience store and staged a “mock” wedding at a church’s front steps before sexually assaulting her.

Police in Mobile County announced the arrest of 37-year-old Roy Lee Clowder of Coden, 40 kilometres south of Mobile. He was charged him with first-degree robbery, first-degree sexual abuse, resisting arrest, and first-degree kidnapping.

Police allege the woman, who was driving home from work last Friday and had stopped at the store, agreed to give the accused a ride home when he pulled a gun out and forced her to sit in the vehicle’s passenger seat, reports Fox affiliate WALA.

The man then drove the woman’s car to a church where he is accused of staging a “mock” wedding with the victim on the front steps.

Police said they got back into the car and the accused drove around Mobile County before he allegedly sexually assaulted her inside the vehicle.

Cops said the woman managed to contact a friend about the incident, who then called 911. Officers then called her phone repeatedly and searched the area where she was last seen.

“The victim, in this case, remained calm and was able to communicate her whereabouts to a friend,” Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch told CBS affiliate WKRG. “Because of this, we were able to assist in locating her and getting her out of a very dangerous situation.”

The accused eventually let the woman go before he was arrested at his home on Saturday.

Investigators believe he was under the influence of some type of drug during the incident.

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