A meetup between former partners to return a piece of clothing devolved into a cross-state kidnapping and a simulated execution in the New Mexico desert, federal prosecutors said.
Leland Alexander Drumheller, 20, was sentenced Monday to 48 months in federal prison for the January abduction of his ex-girlfriend. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone also ordered Drumheller to serve five years of supervised release following his prison term.
According to court filings, the incident began on Jan. 20 when Drumheller texted the victim asking for his sweatshirt back. The two agreed to meet in front of her apartment. Once the victim entered Drumheller’s vehicle to hand over the item, the situation turned dark.
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Court documents state Drumheller became enraged and physically restrained the woman, preventing her from leaving the car as he began driving toward Chaparral, New Mexico.
During the drive, the victim attempted to escape whenever the vehicle stopped at traffic lights. Prosecutors said Drumheller thwarted these attempts by grabbing her by the hair and clothing. When the victim received a phone call from her current boyfriend and told him to “call the cops,” Drumheller took the phone and threw it out the window, continuing the drive north.
The situation escalated when they reached a desert area in Chaparral. Drumheller ordered the woman out of the car and demanded she get on her knees. He then pressed his cellphone against the back of her head, mimicking the sensation of a gun barrel.
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While holding the phone against her head, Drumheller told her, “If you play me again, it’ll get worse.”
He threatened to shoot the victim if she attempted to follow him, then returned to his vehicle and drove off, stranding her alone in the desert.
Drumheller was arrested two weeks later, on Feb. 3, and charged with one count of kidnapping. He pleaded guilty to the charge on Sept. 2.
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