Thanks to the quick thinking of hotel workers, a female juvenile was rescued from a kidnapping attempt.
Dothan Police Chief William E. Benny reported that on January 26, 2025, his department responded to a possible kidnapping at a hotel in the 2100 block of Ross Clark Circle.
When officers arrived on the scene, employees told investigators about the incident involving a white male forcing a female into a hotel. The hotel housekeepers saw the incident, acted quickly, and removed the juvenile, who was under 18, from the room before calling the police. Officers attempted to make contact with the suspect, but he fled on foot on the second floor of the hotel. Officers were able to quickly surround him and take him into custody. The suspect was then identified as 46-year-old Stephen Ayers.
“Crimes like these will not be tolerated,” said Benny. “The Dothan Police Department will hold those who commit these crimes accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
After speaking with the victim, she said Ayers had made sexual advances toward her, which she refused. Ayers then touched her inappropriately, and then she tried to leave the area. Ayers then grabbed her from behind and forced her into a hotel room.
Ayers was arrested and charged with Kidnapping 1st degree and Sexual Abuse 1st degree. He was transported to the Houston County Jail with no bond.
