Local News

Three arrested in alleged kidnap attempt of Altoona teen

Trio faces multiple felony counts in incident

Three men are behind bars after an alleged kidnapping attempt in downtown Altoona was thwarted by the victim and her father.

Altoona resident Harley James Paynter, 31, and Philadelphia resident Shawn Lamar Sellers were arraigned Thursday morning by Magisterial District Judge Kevin Stoltz.

Paynter was charged with single felony counts of aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation, two misdemeanor counts of simple assault, a misdemeanor count of making terroristic threats and a summary count of harassment. Unable to post $250,000 bail, he was remanded to the Blair County Prison.

Sellers faces a felony count of interference with the custody of children, misdemeanor counts of stalking, making terroristic threats, indecent exposure, DUI and possession of drug paraphernalia and a summary count of harassment. He was remanded to the Blair County Prison with bail denied due to being a "safety risk to the community and a flight risk," online court documents state.

According to a post on the Altoona Police Department's Facebook page, the victim, a teenage girl, was walking to school about 7:30 a.m. when a male, later identified as Sellers, approached her and tried to get her attention in front of City Hall at 1301 12th Street. The victim immediately called her father, who went to the area and got the victim to safety.

The victim's father then chased down Sellers, who had retreated to a vehicle containing two other males, later identified as Paynter and Roderick Williams. Sellers told the father he "had something for him" as he was getting into the vehicle. The father recorded Sellers and the vehicle as they fled the scene, the post states.

Paynter confronted the father, who stopped him by punching Paynter and knocking him to the ground. The incident was witnessed by bystanders in the area and 911 was called. Security footage also confirmed the series of events, the post states.

Officers located the vehicle near Fourth Street and Howard Avenue with two males matching descriptions given by callers and the victim. Paynter was taken to UPMC Altoona and released with minor injuries. The investigation found that Sellers and Williams are from out of town and had only been in the area for a short time before the incident. Williams was found to have a warrant and taken to the Blair County Prison. Paynter was involved in a separate assault and held pending charges from that incident, the post states.

The case against Williams has not been filed at the Magistrate's Office as of Thursday evening. Paynter and Sellers are scheduled for preliminary hearings Sept. 16 in front of Stoltz.