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Trucker accused of kidnapping teenage relative

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By Dana Ford

CNN

(CNN) — At one point during her alleged imprisonment, the 19-year-old woman got hold of a razor blade.

She thought about how it could be used.

She considered cutting the man who was holding her hostage, a relative, so she could escape from his physical and sexual abuse.

She also weighed whether to kill herself.

But in the end, the woman decided that trying to get away wouldn’t work, so she tossed the blade.

The abuse continued.

Those and other allegations were lodged in a complaint against Timothy Jay Vafeades, 53, who was charged Monday in Clay County, Minnesota, with kidnapping, false imprisonment and domestic abuse.

Vafeades, a trucker, was arrested there last week after a routine scale inspection turned up that he had an active protection order against him and that the 19-year-old woman — his passenger — was the protected party.

The inspection also determined there was an active warrant for him out of Sarasota County, Florida.

More than six months earlier, the woman had left Sarasota to join Vafeades with the understanding that she could help with his trucking business, earn up to $10,000 and return home, the complaint says.

He paid for her plane ticket out to Salt Lake City, Utah.

That first night, she allegedly woke up to find Vafeades under the blankets on her bed, performing a sex act.

She was scared and stunned and said she didn’t want a sexual relationship with her relative, the complaint says.

Vafeades allegedly told her that he had no intention of allowing her to leave or go back to Florida. He took her driver’s license and Social Security card.

The woman told investigators that she then started to accompany Vafeades on deliveries throughout the United States.

The truck had a single bed, and they slept in it together. She and Vafeades had sex every two to three days, the complaint says.

It goes on to describe several strange and controlling behaviors.

Vafeades allegedly did not let the woman use public restrooms at rest stops or truck stops, nor did he allow her to take showers alone at truck stops.

He also did not allow her to be alone or walk around truck stops by herself. They were required to hold hands.

If he so much as thought she made eye contact with someone, he would yell and hit her back at the truck, the complaint says.

The woman estimated Vafeades had hit her between 20 and 30 times. When he was arrested, the woman had a black eye, which she told investigators Vafeades had given her.

He wore bracelets that he referred to as his “slave bracelets,” the complaint says. He would use those to hit her.

Vafeades allegedly told the woman he was capable of killing her, and she believed he could.

The woman sometimes referred to Vafeades as the “Dentist,” as he had several pairs of false teeth and an apparent obsession with vampires.

He had one set of dentures made to look like vampire teeth and had ordered a set of false teeth for the woman, the complaint says.

He also allegedly filed down certain teeth in her mouth.

“It’s definitely very unique circumstances and definitely very predatory behavior,” said Clay County prosecutor Brian Melton.

Vafeades’ attorney, Rex Tucker, declined to comment Tuesday. CNN was not immediately able to determine whether Vafeades had an opportunity to enter a plea.

According to Melton, bond in the case was set at $1 million.

CNN’s Shawn Nottingham contributed to this report.

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