The St. Petersburg Police Department reported that 27-year-old Jahvontae Bell turned himself in on Thursday for the alleged kidnapping of his ex-girlfriend, 26-year-old Jayanna Clark. This incident marks the second time Bell has been accused of such an act. As per the police, the event unfolded at the Crescent Lane Apartments on Gandy Boulevard on September 1, when neighbors witnessed Clark having an altercation with a man, later identified as Bell, before he forced her into her car and fled the scene, hitting two parked cars in the process. The update was confirmed by a report from WTSP.
Bell was said to have been on the run for more than three weeks prior to surrendering to the police. The authorities expressed concern for Clark’s safety during this period, as the suspect was believed to potentially be a former boyfriend. Clark’s car was eventually found, and she managed to call officials from a location in Clearwater the following day. It’s recounted that Justin Crombie, a neighbor, tried to intervene during the kidnapping. “I heard ‘get off me,’ then witnessed a guy shoving a girl in the car, slamming into a couple of other cars and took off down Gandy,” Crombie told FOX 13 News. “It all happened so fast.” Crombie described Clark as a mother and good neighbor.
Details from the St. Petersburg Police Department further reveal that Bell was arrested on similar charges as far back as July 2024. This prior incident also involved the kidnapping of Clark, who was found unharmed with Bell after an 18-hour search conducted by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. Despite being charged with armed kidnapping, battery and several counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon at the time, Bell was not prosecuted. The historical context of these incidents was detailed in an article by News Channel 8, which also confirmed that prior to the July 2024 event, Clark had allegedly been kidnapped by Bell on June 14…