Man charged in wife's kidnapping

Brownsville police have arrested a Lyford man in connection with the alleged kidnapping of his estranged wife, officials said.

Thomas William Whitehead, 61, was arrested Friday afternoon and later charged with kidnapping and violation of a protective order, said police spokesman Sgt. Jimmy Manrrique.

Inside his truck, police say, they found plastic ties, high-powered binoculars, telescopes, cameras and video cameras.

"She had some concerns about him stalking her and about some threats that he had made," Manrrique said. "It seems that her fears were well founded because these items were probbly used to stalk her."

Friday morning, Whitehead’s 63-year-old wife had appeared before 357th State District Judge Leonel Alejandro to request a protective order, Manrrique said.

The judge granted the request, even though her husband did not appear for the hearing, he said.

"She was concerned for her safety and asked the court bailiffs to escort her to her car," he said. "They didn’t see him (Whitehead) around the courthouse, and she left."

On her way home, the victim stopped at the Sam’s Club in Brownsville. Whitehead approached her in the parking lot and tried to force her into his truck, Manrrique said.

"She began screaming for people to call the police because she had a protective order against him (White head)," he said. "He covered her mouth and forced her into the vehicle."

Witnesses were able to give police a detailed description of the gold Chevrolet pickup Whitehead was driving, and police placed a lookout on the vehicle.

A Cameron County sheriff’s deputy spotted the pickup in the 3300 block of Expressway 77/83. He pulled it over and after finding the victim inside the truck and contacted Brownsville police, who arrested Whitehead and investigated the kidnapping.

The next day, Saturday, Whitehead went before Municipal Judge Ben Neece who set his total bonds at $300,000 and remanded him to the Carrizalez Rucker Detention Center in Olmito.