Two women were charged with two counts of kidnapping and burglary in Charles County, including the abduction of a 72-year-old man and 17-year-old boy. Police have confirmed that Tonya Renae Riffe, 34, and Lila Juanita Smith, 27, have been arrested in connection to both cases.
The first abduction was reported on April 25, but it occurred on April 23 at 1 p.m., when a 72-year-old man, Floyde (last name withheld), was walking to his car in the parking lot of Food Lion in La Plata. According to authorities, a white female approached him, placed an object to his back, which he claimed was a gun, and told the man to get in his car or she would hurt him. The man followed her demands, and she told him to drive a short distance, where they stopped and picked up a black female. The women then told the man to drive to a nearby bank. Floyde claimed he did not have an ATM card or checkbook so they demanded to be dropped off in a neighborhood in Waldorf. The man was released without any injuries.
Three days after the first incident, on April 26 at 5:30 a.m., a 17-year-old male was leaving the Westlake Dash-In in Waldorf. As he walked to his car near the gas pumps, he noticed a white female standing near the driver’s side of his car. She took out a gun and told him to get in the car. He complied, and she told the boy to drive a short distance where they again picked up a black female. He was then instructed to drive to a nearby ATM. Authorities say he was not able to get money from the ATM because he did not have any in his account. Instead, the women took the money from his wallet and left the car. The women collected about 39 dollars in total.
On April 27, at about 4 a.m., police responded to a shoplifting call at a drug store on Leonardtown Road in Waldorf. After they arrived, they spotted the suspects’ car in the parking lot. A computer check revealed that the car was stolen. After seeing the suspects, officers noted they matched the description of the two women responsible for the earlier abductions and robberies. Riffe and Smith were taken into custody. Officers then obtained a search warrant at a house where the women were living and recovered a BB gun and other evidence linking Riffe and Smith to the recent robberies.
Both suspects have been charged with armed robbery, kidnapping, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and use of a firearm in commission with a felony and theft. They are currently being held at the Charles County Detention Center.
Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for any information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS, texting CHARLES + the tip to CRIMES (274637) or submitting tips online at tipsubmit.com. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Learn more at the CCSO’s website; visit www.ccso.us.
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