UVa students face abduction charges

Four University of Virginia students face felony charges in an April incident in which a man reported being attacked and abducted, according to Charlottesville police.

The suspects — Chase Wagner Whitlow of Sterling; Gabriel Rust-Tierney of Washington; Jordan Vinsant Davis of Midlothian; and Joseph Uzcategui of Rye, N.Y. — appeared in Charlottesville General District Court on Friday. All four are 19 years old and, at the time of the incident, lived in the 1100 block of Wertland Street, according to police.

They remain free and face an Oct. 23 hearing. Accor-ding to court records, none has obtained a lawyer.

The felony abduction charge carries a possible 10-year sentence.

UVa spokeswoman Carol Wood said she couldn’t comment on the case or whether the students face disciplinary actions. She did say they currently remain students.

The four suspects, however, could face disciplinary action from the university’s Judiciary Committee, if someone levels charges against them of violating prohibited conduct. Discipline ranges from issuing an apology to expulsion.

The incident happened late on April 12 or early April 13.

Shortly after midnight on April 13, police received a report that a man had been abducted from Rugby Road, robbed and dumped in Crozet, according to the police report.

The unidentified victim told police he was walking along Rugby Road near University Avenue when someone hit him from behind, knocking him to the ground. He was then thrown into the back of a car.

During about a 20-minute trip, the suspects robbed the victim. Police would not say what was stolen.

The assailants stop-ped in the Crozet area, pulled the victim out of the car and left him in the road, the victim told police. He then went to a nearby pizza restaurant and called police.

The victim, who was not seriously injured, told police he could not determine the race of the suspects, but said they were all males.