SHARE

Woman Allegedly Held Hostage For 24 Hours By Ex-Con With Charges In Six Pennsylvania Counties

A woman was allegedly kidnapped, held hostage for 24 hours, assaulted, and had her children's lives threatened by a man with criminal charges in six Pennsylvania counties dating back 30 years, according to court records obtained by Daily Voice. 

Richard Young.

Richard Young.

Photo Credit: Facebook/Richard Young

Richard Clover Young, 52, was "hiding and waiting" outside of the victim's home while she was waiting to be picked up by her sister on Nov. 5, according to the criminal complaint.

Young reportedly "tricked" the victim by telling her that he'd drive her in his 2011 Kia Sportage and then bring her back home but he instead made excuses to keep her in her car as he drove from State College to Somerset County, according to the documents.  

During the ride, he physically assaulted her and threatened to hurt her children, and supposedly told her she could only use the phone if he "knew what she was doing on it," police detail in the affidavit. 

But, somehow the victim called someone who was able to get in touch with the police, and after 24 hours of driving Young stopped to sleep in a wooded area n in Upper Turkeyfoot Township, as detailed in the court documents. 

That's when she escaped, according to the police. Young was taken into custody later that same day. 

On Nov. 2, Young posted a Facebook rant claiming to suffer from PTSD, seizures, and to have recently been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, claims which Daily Voice was unable to confirm when speaking with the police. In the post, he also claims to be trying to reach out to a "Lisa" to apologize for something, but it's unclear if that is connected to this incident.

Young has been held on charges of kidnapping, false imprisonment, assault, and making threats, and is being held in the Somerset County Prison on $25,000 bail, court records show.

His preliminary hearing has been scheduled before Magisterial District Sandra L. Stevanus on Nov. 28 at noon, according to his latest court docket. 

He has a lengthy court record with charges filed against him in Clinton, Cumberland, Centre, Lycoming, Snyder, and Somerset counties with charges dating back to 1992.  

He has previously pleaded guilty to criminal trespass, multiple counts of stalking, receiving stolen property, theft, accessing someone else's personal electronic devices, and additional related charges. 

He has served more than a year in prison as a result of some of these charges. 

to follow Daily Voice Gaithersburg and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE