Kidnapping/Assault Suspect Believed to Be in Longview Area

MT. PLEASANT — East Texas Law enforcement is looking for a man accused of kidnapping and assaulting a woman in Titus County on Monday, and authorities say he’s believed to be in the Longview area. KETK reports authorities seek Ryan Jacob Schmidt, 35. Schmidt allegedly attacked and threatened to kill a woman while driving on Highway 271 until the victim jumped from the moving vehicle in fear of her life, according to the Titus County Sheriff’s Office. Titus County deputies first learned of the incident when Camp County Sheriff’s Office officials reported an assault victim at a hospital in Pittsburg. The woman had been thrown from a moving vehicle near the county line.

Deputies responded to the hospital and were told the victim was abducted from her home in Diana by Schmidt and was headed through Titus County when she jumped from the vehicle to get away. TCSO said the woman was found by a passerby on the side of Highway 271 and transported to Pittsburg. The victim was able to positively identify Schmidt and stated he would have killed her had she not escaped the vehicle, according to officials. The victim said she prayed and asked God to help her, then jumped from the moving vehicle. Witnesses driving about 75 mph behind Schmidt’s vehicle said the suspect was swerving all over the road and then a woman was seen coming out of the vehicle and onto Highway 271, according to authorities.

Officials say Schmidt did not stop after the woman jumped and that his vehicle kept heading toward Mount Pleasant. The Titus County Sheriff’s Office obtained an arrest warrant for Schmidt on an aggravated kidnapping charge. The suspect is described as a white male, 6 feet 3 inches, 180 pounds, with red hair and blue eyes. He was last known to be driving a silver Chevy Astro Van displaying Texas License Plate # CYK2706.