FONDA — State Police arrested two men on kidnapping charges after a teenager from Root was found in a vehicle during a traffic stop in Oneonta early Tuesday.
David J. Hadsell, 20, of Summit and Mario A. Sierra, 20, of East Meredith were each charged with Kidnapping in the second degree, a Class “B” felony.
Hadsell faces additional charges of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the fourth degree, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and Vehicle and Traffic Law violations.
Troopers received a complaint about a missing teenager from Root at approximately 9:00 p.m. Monday.
The investigation revealed the child had met Sierra on social media and had been picked up by Sierra and Hadsell earlier that evening without the guardian’s knowledge or permission.
Law enforcement was contacted after the child sent social media messages expressing fear for their safety and uncertainty about their location.
At approximately 2:00 a.m. Tuesday, Troopers in Troop C stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation on Main Street in Oneonta and identified the driver as Hadsell.
The teenager was found unharmed in the back seat of the vehicle.
Psilocybin mushrooms were also discovered in Hadsell’s vehicle and seized.
Hadsell was processed at SP Oneonta on charges related to the traffic stop and later at SP Fonda on the kidnapping charge.
Sierra was located at his East Meredith home shortly afterward and transported to SP Fonda for processing.
Both men were arraigned at the Root Town Court and remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in lieu of $2,500 cash or $15,000 bond.
