Grant County Deputies Arrest Wanted Suspect in Assault & Kidnapping

Grant County Sheriff's Deputies arrested a suspect in the assault and kidnapping of a man last week.

According to the Sheriff's Office, on Sunday, April 6th, the adult victim was at Safeway in Ephrata when a vehicle pulled up and the occupants told the man to get in to warm up. The driver then threatened to kill the man if he attempted to get out of the vehicle..

The Vicitm Was Repeatedly Assaulted for Two Days.

The victim reported that he was taken to a Moses Lake residence where he was tased and beaten with a baseball bat. The man was also threatened with a gun to the head.

The Kidnappers Assaulted the Man in a Rural Area and Left Him.

Then, on Wednesday, April 9th, the victim was taken to a deserted, rural area where he was again assaulted with a baseball bat and shovel. The man was left there, and a citizen gave him a ride to Columbia Basin Hospital. That's when Ephrata Police got a statement from the victim.

On Friday, April 11th, the victim was at Circle K on Stratford Road in Moses Lake when two of the kidnapping suspects again attempted to force the victim into their vehicle. The store clerk called 911.

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27-Year Old Destin Johnson of Kent, Was Identified as One of the Suspects.

After investigation, it was learned that the victim and Johnson knew each other. Police later located Johnson on Castle Drive in Moses Lake, where he was detained, and arrested. Johnson was booked into the Grant County Jail for first-degree Kidnapping and second-degree Assault.