Calif. man accused of kidnapping ex-girlfriend from Terrebonne home, assaulting her

Deputies say he drove her to his home; she convinced him to drive her back

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Vallejo, California man was arrested on numerous charges Sunday night at a Redmond motel, accused of kidnapping his former girlfriend at her Terrebonne home and assaulting her on the way back to California, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said Tuesday.

Deputies were dispatched around 2 p.m. Sunday to a Terrebonne home on a report of a 19-year-old woman who had been taken from her home to California for several days, Sgt. Ron Brown said.

Deputies and detectives investigating the case learned that Jeffrey Waller, 27, and the victim had been in a relationship, Brown said. They had been separated for several months, but remained acquaintances.

Suspecting that the woman was seeing someone new, Waller drove to the woman’s home early on the morning of Tuesday, June 15, Brown said.

Waller allegedly convinced the woman to get in his vehicle by threatening harm to her family members. After they drove off, the woman quickly realized Waller had disabled the inside door handle, so she couldn’t get out, the sergeant said.

Waller allegedly assaulted the woman before driving her to his home in California. Over the next few days, Brown said, the woman convinced Waller to drive her home, where they arrived early Sunday morning.

Detectives determined Waller was still in the Redmond area, found him at a Redmond motel and began surveillance, assisted by the sheriff’s office SWAT team. He was contacted and taken into custody without further incident, and lodged in the Deschutes County Jail in Bend, where he remained held Tuesday on $350,000 bail.

Court records show Waller was arraigned Monday on 16 initial charges, including three counts each of kidnapping and assault, rape and sexual abuse, unlawful use of a weapon, coercion, strangulation and menacing. He is due back in court next Monday for arraignment on an expected formal indictment.