KENNEWICK — A 24-year-old man was caught on a doorbell camera committing a brazen daylight kidnapping in Kennewick
Seven months later, Johnny Ray Cochran Davis told a judge he was sorry for dragging the woman he was dating out of her house by her hair last February.
“I was not in the right state of mind at the time,” he told Judge Jacqueline Stam. “I will never do that again.”
Davis pleaded guilty earlier this week in Benton County Superior Court to first-degree burglary, unlawful imprisonment and felony harassment.
This is the second time Davis has convicted of a felony, said Deputy Prosecutor Brendan Siefken and defense Attorney Brian Hultgrenn. That meant his sentencing range was 6 1/2 to 8 1/2 years in prison.
The attorneys recommended a sentence at the bottom of the range. Siefken said the victim agreed with that recommendation.
Davis and the woman were dating at the time and had been in an argument the night before, according to court records. She was hiding inside the Newport Street home when Davis arrived at her apartment at 8:15 a.m.
Siefken said he forced his way into her garage and pulled her out by her hair. Some Good Samaritans from a nearby construction site tried to stop him from forcing her into his car, but they couldn’t stop him.
Police found her later in the day.
“She’s been severely traumatized by this incident,” Siefken said at the hearing. “The victim did not want to relive this through a trial.”
Hultgrenn said Davis wanted to take responsibility for the crime and he thought it was a fair result.
Stam followed the recommendation, sentencing Davis to 6 1/2 years in prison. She also ordered him to have no contact with the woman for the rest of his life.
February kidnapping
When Davis showed up at the woman’s apartment the morning after they had an argument, he parked outside and honked for 10 minutes until she came outside. As soon as she saw him, she raced back inside.
A 45-second clip from a doorbell security camera showed her hurrying to get inside. After finding the door locked, Davis slammed his shoulder into the door hard enough to crack it, the video showed.
Davis fell to the ground, got up and hit it a second time, breaking down the door.
The woman can be heard yelling, “No,” while Davis says, “You are coming with me right now.”
After telling him that she doesn’t want to go, the footage shows him dragging her out and down the sidewalk by her hair. As he’s forcing her into the car, the woman yells for help.
Three people working at a nearby construction workers reported seeing Davis dragging her, according to court documents. They tried to get both of them out of the car, said investigators.
Davis put the car into reverse, damaging the doors, and speeding away.
The witnesses then called police.
Officers tracked Davis to a home on the 6700 block of Kennewick Avenue about 1:30 p.m. After a short foot chase through some yards, police caught up with him.
The woman was found at the home where the chase started.
