- Victim’s family claim they shot dead Scott Thomas during rescue attempt
- Bethany Arceneaux was grabbed on Wednesday as she collected her child from a day care center
- 29-year-old mother allegedly had restraining order against kidnapper Thomas
The dramatic moment an uncle carried his terrified and bloodied niece to safety after she was kidnapped and held hostage in an abandoned Louisiana house was caught on camera today.
Bethany Arceneaux was taken hostage on Wednesday evening by Scott Thomas, her ex-boyfriend and father of her child.
A few hours after Marcus Arceneaux was pictured carrying his niece from a vacant house in Duson, a police swat team entered the building and Thomas was found shot dead.
Rescued: Marcus Arceneaux carries his niece, Bethany, to safety after she was kidnapped and stabbed in an abandoned house
Hostage: Scott Thomas grabbed Bethany Arceneaux, the mother of his child, on Wednesday evening
The29-year-old mother had been stabbed and slashed but is expected to survive, her family told KLFY.
She has been taken to hospital and is in a stable condition.
She was rescued on Friday afternoon when a search party of family and friends confronted Thomas and managed to grab his victim.
Police who were also searching nearby rushed to the scene and quickly surrounded the house in a tense stand off that lasted a couple of hours.
Lafayette Police Corporal Paul Mouton told MailOnline the swat team entered the house, ‘shots were fired and the suspect was deceased’ at about 3pm (CST) on Friday.
Thomas died of injuries he sustained during the confrontation with Miss Arceneaux’s relatives, according to reports.
According to Captain Kip Judice, of Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s office, the victim’s family had shot Thomas as they tried to free her from his clutches.
‘Those family members entered the home and confronted Mr Scott Thomas … who began to harm the victim. At that point, a confrontation ensued between the family member and Mr Thomas.’
He added that when a swat team later entered the house they found the body of the kidnapper.
Miss Arceneaux’sordeal began at 5.20pm on Wednesday when Thomas grabbed her from outside a day care center.
The 29-year-old was seen forcing his victim into a Buick LeSabre before driving off with her, leaving the victim’s child abandoned in her car.
The getaway car was found later that day in Anderson Road, Duson, but it wasn’t until Friday that Miss Arceneaux was rescued from an abandoned house on the same street.
Relatives told KATC TV-3 gunfire was exchanged between the family and the alleged kidnapper but police could not confirm that.
Mr Arceneaux, the victim’s uncle, said: ‘We found my niece Bethany, she’s OK. I’d like to thank everybody who came out and helped us search.’
Stand off: Police use their car as a shield as they surround the house Scott Thomas was hiding in
‘There was a confrontation at that point. During that confrontation, the victim was freed,’ he said, adding that Miss Arceneaux was said to be in ‘good condition other than some injuries that she had received’.
The couple have a violent history revealed in several police reports, according to KATC 3. She had filed several reports alleging domestic abuse and also filed a restraining order against Thomas.
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