Lake City Police Department officers detained a Tampa man on New Year’s Eve in connection with the kidnapping of someone he met on a dating app.
The victim, a Tampa resident, told police they planned to meet Maxim Mark Dowd, 29, in Tampa on Sunday.
According to police, the victim and Dowd walked to a convenience shop after hanging out for a few minutes. After exiting the store, the victim requested that Dowd drive them home.
Dowd created reasons and traveled around Central Florida, hoping to meet individuals at each site. According to LCPD, the victim requested to be taken home after leaving each place, but Dowd refused.
After arriving at a Lake City house, the victim told a resident that they were driven from Tampa to Lake City – a three-hour drive — without their will. The resident phoned authorities.
Dowd was taken into custody and taken to the Columbia County Detention Center.
Dowd is accused of kidnapping, drug paraphernalia possession, possessing more than one valid driver’s license, and resisting an officer without violence.