The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a $10,000 reward on Monday for any information that could lead to the whereabouts of 18-year-old Naomi Irion whom officials say was kidnapped from a Walmart parking lot on Mar. 12.
Officials from the Lyon County Sheriff's Office also arrested 41-year-old Troy Driver who is believed to be the kidnapper that abducted the victim. Police took the suspect into custody on Friday and are keeping him at the Yerington Jail on kidnapping charges. The suspected kidnapper is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
Missing 18-Year-Old Lady
Irion is thought to have parked her vehicle at the Walmart located in Fernley, Nevada shortly, after 5:00 a.m. She was waiting to catch an employee bus. She was on her way to her job at a Panasonic factory when she was taken against her will, according to authorities.
Surveillance cameras captured footage of the suspect walking from a nearby homeless camp and allegedly "lurking in vehicles." He later got into the victim's driver's seat and quickly drove off while she was still in the passenger's seat, as per Fox News.
Three days after the incident, officials discovered Irion's car in Fernley and said that they found evidence suggesting her disappearance was criminal in nature. Driver was arrested on Mar. 25 as the Lyon County Sheriff's Office impounded a pickup truck that they said could be related to the victim's disappearance.
The suspect was found to have previously been sentenced to 15 years in jail in 1997 in relation to the murder of a methamphetamine dealer and stealing from several convenience stores. The recent video showed that the suspect was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, dark pants or jeans, and dark tennis shoes at around 5:24 a.m.
Suspect's Court Appearance
According to CNN, the FBI on its website said that Irion was last seen wearing a blue Panasonic company shirt, a gray cardigan sweater, gray pants, and brown boots. She is also believed to be carrying a black purse. Authorities said that her iPhone (10 or 11) has not been located yet. On Mar. 25, Lyon County Sheriff Frank Hunewill said that the case was still an active investigation and that more information would be released as it becomes available.
Driver is set to attend his court hearing via Zoom which will be held at the Canal Township Justice Court in Fernley at noon on Mar. 30. Investigators declined to say that evidence was given to a judge to get the arrest warrant and seize his vehicle.
Authorities are planning to keep the courtroom open to the public but with limited space and will provide a Zoom link for attendees to join on Tuesday. Lyon County District Attorney Steven Rye said he did not immediately know whether or not Driver had a lawyer appointed to his defense after his arrest.
Additionally, the suspect is being held at the Lyon County jail on $750,000 bail. Patrick Mansfield, an attorney in Dayton, said on Monday that his law firm had not yet been hired by Driver or has been appointed as his public defender, MyNews4 reported.
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