Officers from the Dalton Police Department rescued a woman who was kidnapped and being held against her will in a room at the Guest Inn at 2220 Chattanooga Road Tuesday afternoon.
Dalton Police Department investigators said they were charging 47-year-old Dennis Charles Watkins in the kidnapping and false imprisonment of the adult female victim once he is released from the hospital. The incident is being jointly investigated by the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office and the Dalton Police Department.
Watkins surrendered after Dalton Police Department officers found him holding the victim against her will in a room and forced their way into the room.
The incident began Monday evening when Watkins picked up the victim, who was known to him, from the CVS Pharmacy on Cleveland Highway. That location is in Whitfield County. Family members of the victim reported her missing to the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office after she failed to show up as expected later in the evening. The victim’s car was later located at the CVS and video surveillance showed her leaving the store with Watkins.
On Tuesday, Dalton Police Department patrol division officers received information that Watkins’ car was parked at the Guest Inn on Chattanooga Road. Officers determined that he was in Room 148 and attempted to make contact with him but he did not answer the door. At approximately 2:30 in the afternoon, officers knocked again and asked him to come to the door. As they were about to unlock the door and enter, they heard the victim cry out for help. When they opened the door, officers found it barricaded by a desk and kicked their way in. Watkins, who was armed with a knife and a pair of scissors when officers entered, dropped his weapons and gave up after officers told him he would be tased if he did not comply. There was no force used during his arrest. He was transported to Hamilton Medical Center for evaluation because of apparent drug and alcohol intoxication.
The victim was able to escape from the room after officers entered. She was checked out at the scene by paramedics and was found to be uninjured. She told investigators that she had been held against her will since 7:30 p.m. on Monday and that her life had been threatened.
This incident is still under investigation by Detective Jason Thompson of the Dalton Police Department and Detective Blake Smith of the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office. The county plans to charge Watkins with kidnapping and the police department intends to charge him with aggravated assault, false imprisonment, making terroristic threats, and aggravated sodomy. At this time, Watkins has not been booked at the Whitfield County Jail as he is still being evaluated by medical personnel. He may be held there overnight.
The address for Watkins was given as 303 Ricky Dr. in Dalton.