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Accused kidnapper Charles Sullivan prepared for his crime, investigators charged in court Thursday: When he picked up a young hitchhiker, he had with him a semi-automatic handgun and a camouflage fanny pack with zip-ties and handcuffs.
"You don't carry that stuff around for chuckles," Nevada County Assistant District Attorney Anna Ferguson said at the preliminary hearing, where she convinced Superior Court Judge Robert Tamietti of Sullivan's alleged intent to commit rape. Tamietti upheld the charges, and the case will move to trial.
The Pollock Pines man also had a cool, friendly manner that disarmed the 24-year-old alleged victim when he allegedly picked her up two months ago near the intersection of Highway 20 and Interstate 80; she had thumbed for years in Europe with no problems, the woman told The Union.
Sullivan, 61, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the charges of kidnapping with a firearm, kidnapping with the intent to commit rape with a firearm and criminal threats with a firearm.
Joined by Deputy Public Defender Keri Goodrow in court Thursday, Sullivan pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Nevada County sheriff's investigators testified that the alleged victim was resourceful, burying what she thought was a silencer she found in the fanny pack, even while her hands were cuffed and zip-tied behind her back.
"You don't carry that stuff around for chuckles," Nevada County Assistant District Attorney Anna Ferguson said at the preliminary hearing, where she convinced Superior Court Judge Robert Tamietti of Sullivan's alleged intent to commit rape. Tamietti upheld the charges, and the case will move to trial.
The Pollock Pines man also had a cool, friendly manner that disarmed the 24-year-old alleged victim when he allegedly picked her up two months ago near the intersection of Highway 20 and Interstate 80; she had thumbed for years in Europe with no problems, the woman told The Union.
Sullivan, 61, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the charges of kidnapping with a firearm, kidnapping with the intent to commit rape with a firearm and criminal threats with a firearm.
Joined by Deputy Public Defender Keri Goodrow in court Thursday, Sullivan pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Nevada County sheriff's investigators testified that the alleged victim was resourceful, burying what she thought was a silencer she found in the fanny pack, even while her hands were cuffed and zip-tied behind her back.
"If she was going to be shot, she didn't want it silenced," Nevada County sheriff's Det. Michael Sullivan said.
The package thought to be a silencer turned out to be a "Shot Blok," a small snack, he said.
She got away by cutting the ties around her ankles with her pocket knife kept in her cargo pants pocket after her attacker left her alone to retrieve something from his minivan, investigators said.
The young woman told investigators Sullivan picked her up Sept. 15 near the highway intersections. He took her to get coffee at a gas station in Nyack and told her about a place where they could find hot springs and turquoise. She agreed to go with him.
After the two had walked about 300 yards from where Sullivan had parked his minivan off of Bowman Lake Road near Canyon Creek, she bent down to tie her bootlace, she told investigators.
"She felt his hand on her shoulder, she looked over and that's when she saw a silver-and-black 9-mm semi-automatic handgun," Nevada County sheriff's Sgt. Dan Saunders testified. "He was holding it pointed at the ground, away from his body, so she could see it. He said 'I have a gun. Don't make me hurt you.'"
Sullivan allegedly told the woman "everything is going to be OK; we're going to have sex, stay up here and have some fun," Saunders said.
The package thought to be a silencer turned out to be a "Shot Blok," a small snack, he said.
She got away by cutting the ties around her ankles with her pocket knife kept in her cargo pants pocket after her attacker left her alone to retrieve something from his minivan, investigators said.
The young woman told investigators Sullivan picked her up Sept. 15 near the highway intersections. He took her to get coffee at a gas station in Nyack and told her about a place where they could find hot springs and turquoise. She agreed to go with him.
After the two had walked about 300 yards from where Sullivan had parked his minivan off of Bowman Lake Road near Canyon Creek, she bent down to tie her bootlace, she told investigators.
"She felt his hand on her shoulder, she looked over and that's when she saw a silver-and-black 9-mm semi-automatic handgun," Nevada County sheriff's Sgt. Dan Saunders testified. "He was holding it pointed at the ground, away from his body, so she could see it. He said 'I have a gun. Don't make me hurt you.'"
Sullivan allegedly told the woman "everything is going to be OK; we're going to have sex, stay up here and have some fun," Saunders said.
He allegedly told the woman it was OK to cry, but she couldn't speak or look at him. If she did look at him, he allegedly said, he would "knock her out," Saunders said.
Investigators sent the zip-ties, handcuffs and a water bottle the woman took from the scene for fingerprint testing at the California Department of Justice crime lab in Sacramento.
Latent fingerprint expert Linda Senteney of the state Department of Justice testified Thursday she found Sullivan's fingerprints on the water bottle and on the handcuff from the woman's left wrist.
"That's a good piece of evidence," Ferguson said after the hearing.
The woman was not present in court for Thursday's preliminary hearing, although she is in communication with investigators, Ferguson said.
Prosecutors may not require an alleged victim's presence at a preliminary hearing if they believe it is possible to present evidence of a crime without the alleged victim's testimony.
Investigators sent the zip-ties, handcuffs and a water bottle the woman took from the scene for fingerprint testing at the California Department of Justice crime lab in Sacramento.
Latent fingerprint expert Linda Senteney of the state Department of Justice testified Thursday she found Sullivan's fingerprints on the water bottle and on the handcuff from the woman's left wrist.
"That's a good piece of evidence," Ferguson said after the hearing.
The woman was not present in court for Thursday's preliminary hearing, although she is in communication with investigators, Ferguson said.
Prosecutors may not require an alleged victim's presence at a preliminary hearing if they believe it is possible to present evidence of a crime without the alleged victim's testimony.
The woman is set to testify at the trial, Ferguson said.
The alleged victim told The Union in September that Sullivan was "very calculated and calm" while he threatened her life and tied her up "like he had done this before."
Sullivan has no known previous record of arrest or conviction for kidnapping or sex crimes.
Judge Tamietti set Sullivan's trial for 9 a.m. on Jan. 8. The trial is expected to last three to four days.
Sullivan remains incarcerated at Wayne Brown Correctional Facility in Nevada City in lieu of $500,000 bail.
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To contact Staff Writer Robyn Moormeister, e-mail robynm@theunion.com or call 477-4236.
The alleged victim told The Union in September that Sullivan was "very calculated and calm" while he threatened her life and tied her up "like he had done this before."
Sullivan has no known previous record of arrest or conviction for kidnapping or sex crimes.
Judge Tamietti set Sullivan's trial for 9 a.m. on Jan. 8. The trial is expected to last three to four days.
Sullivan remains incarcerated at Wayne Brown Correctional Facility in Nevada City in lieu of $500,000 bail.
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To contact Staff Writer Robyn Moormeister, e-mail robynm@theunion.com or call 477-4236.
