Milwaukee man faces kidnapping charges after 3-hour van ride

A Milwaukee concert drew thousands of attendees on October 10, but one woman found herself in an unfamiliar vehicle by the end of the night. A criminal complaint filed on October 20 charges 39-year-old Emeka Mordi with kidnapping, second-degree sexual assault, and substantial battery.

Police reports cited in the complaint describe a white van parked near West Wisconsin Avenue at 11:28 p.m. Surveillance footage shows a person escorting the woman into the vehicle after she became separated from her friends. Mordi told detectives he saw a woman in distress and offered her a ride. Cell phone and surveillance data indicate she remained in his van until 1:28 a.m., when he dropped her off in a parking lot blocks from her residence. The van is registered to Mordi.

The woman reported having no memory of events after 10 p.m. She stated she woke inside the van with an unknown man and tried to fend him off. According to the complaint, he struck her once in the face, causing her to lose consciousness. Her husband called her phone during the ride and heard a man instruct her to wear a seatbelt before he gave the man their home address.

Police located the woman at her home after her husband reported her missing. The complaint notes she had abrasions, bruising, and cuts, and was missing her purse, credit cards, and phone. A sexual assault kit revealed male DNA, and the woman identified Mordi during a lineup. He ended his police interview when detectives questioned him about the DNA evidence.

Mordi is currently charged but has not been convicted. The next step in the legal process is scheduled for a preliminary examination, where a judge will determine if there is enough evidence to bind him over for trial.