Escalating concerns have been put to rest as the Ceres Police Department updated the public on a recently thwarted kidnapping case. Ceres Police Department reported on their Facebook page, an elderly woman sought help from staff at a Wells Fargo Bank last Thursday, claiming she was the victim of an attempted kidnapping. Responding officers arrested two individuals at the scene; a 33-year-old male, Nicholas Payton, and a woman who later turned out to have provided a false identity.
The suspects had coerced the elderly victim to withdraw a large amount of cash from the bank. Payton made an attempt to flee but was apprehended one block from the bank. A subsequent search of his backpack revealed a loaded, unserialized rifle, and Payton was discovered to be on active felony probation with multiple warrants out for his arrest. He was additionally found in possession of a controlled substance, all revelations leading to multiple charges including kidnapping, elder abuse, and various firearm violations, according to the Ceres Police Department…