APD: Woman held pregnant woman, 2 children against their will, demanded money
AUSTIN (KXAN) – Multiple arrest warrants were issued for a woman in connection with an aggravated kidnapping and robbery where a pregnant woman and two children were held against their will in mid-September in southeast Austin.
Anecia Thacker, 33, was accused of approaching a parked vehicle at a supermarket gas station pump Sept. 14 in the 2100 block of Wickersham Lane and demanding money before getting into the unlocked vehicle and driving around with the victims while continuing to make demands, according to an Austin arrest affidavit.
Records said the pregnant woman was a passenger in the vehicle and the mother of one of the children in the backseat. The mother of the second child and the vehicle’s owner and driver parked at the gas pump, went inside to pay and left the victims inside the vehicle.
According to victim statements, Thacker had a dagger-style knife in her hand when she got into the vehicle.
Court records said while Thacker was driving, she told the woman she owed money to the man in the vehicle following behind them.
“The woman repeatedly told her to send money, a ransom, to her Cash App Account … or the man behind them would shoot the car up,” court records said.
The records said Thacker made multiple demands for various amounts of money while continuing to threaten the victims and refusing to release them until she received the money.
Documents said after receiving $104, Thacker pulled over in a nearby neighborhood, parked, got out of the vehicle and got into the vehicle that had been following behind.
The suspect's vehicle left, and the victim was able to drive herself and the children back to the supermarket.
Officers with the Austin Police Department obtained surveillance video from the supermarket and were able to confirm the statements provided by the victims.
APD connected Thacker to the case by using the Cash App account information provided by the victim.
Thacker’s arrest warrant charged her with one count of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and three counts of aggravated kidnapping for ransom/reward.
As of Wednesday, Travis County jail records did not have Thacker listed.