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Family of kidnapped Louisiana woman Bethany Arceneaux kill her abductor

BY: STAFF WRITERS FROM: NEWS.COM.AU NOVEMBER 10, 2013 6:36PM

Bethany Arceneaux, lef t, was rescued f rom an abandoned house in Louisiana on Friday . Picture: Leslie Westbrook. Source: AP Source: AP

THE family of a kidnapped mother tracked down and killed her abductor and father of her child, according to US authorities. Bethany Arceneaux, 29, was kidnapped on Wednesday in the car park of the Louisiana daycare centre where her twoyear-old child was being looked after, reports ABC News. Ms Arceneaux was allegedly held prisoner by her child's father, Scott Thomas, in an abandoned house near a sugarcane field in the rural area of Lafayette Parish. Witnesses saw the suspect allegedly force Ms Arceneaux into his white Buick LeSabre before driving away, according to a Lafayette Police Department spokesman. Later that evening, authorities found Thomas' car near the sugarcane field. They searched the field from Wednesday night and all day Thursday, but found no leads. On Friday morning, Arceneaux's family members conducted their own search in the same area, and came across a secluded house behind a cluster of trees. "[The family] converged on a piece of property about a mile from where the car was found," said Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Department Captain Kip Judice. "One of the family members heard what he thought was a scream." Arceneaux's cousin kicked in the front door and entered the property. He found Thomas with the woman. Thomas then stabbed Arceneaux, and a confrontation ensued.

"The cousin, who was armed, began firing several shots at Thomas," Judice said. "After a couple of shots, [Arceneaux] was able to get free of him and they escorted her out of the house." Police officers heard the gun shots and surrounded the home, Judice said. They found Thomas' lifeless body on the ground - he had sustained several gunshot wounds. Ms Arcenaux suffered several stab wounds and was taken by ambulance to the local hospital, where she is in a stable condition, Judice said. She had not eaten or had anything to drink since her abduction on Wednesday. No charges have been filed against the man who shot Thomas, and it is unlikely that the man will be charged, Judice said. "In the state of Louisiana, you have a right to protect yourself and others from imminent bodily harm," he said. "We believe at this point, based on evidence and statements collected, that this guy was acting in defence of Ms. Arceneaux and thus, was within the state law." ###

SOURCE: http://www.news.com.au/world/family-of-kidnapped-louisiana-woman-bethany-arceneaux-kill-her-abductor/story-fndir2ev-1226756820617