Police: Sioux Falls woman kidnapped, man arrested

Katie Nelson
Argus Leader
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Police arrested a Sioux Falls man on Thursday after he allegedly kidnapped and assaulted a woman he knew.

Shawn William Bentz, 27, was charged with aggravated assault, second-degree kidnapping, simple assault domestic, interference with emergency communications and failure to register as a sex offender.

On Wednesday, Bentz and a 39-year-old woman were arguing in his home when he threw her against a wall and locked her in a closet, police spokesman Sam Clemens said. After a while, he allegedly let her out before putting his hands over her face to restrict her breathing, and then taking her home.

The next day, Bentz and the woman agreed to meet in a parking lot near downtown to talk, Clemens said. The woman had gotten into the car in order to hear Bentz better when he allegedly locked the doors and drove away, saying he would kill her.

While driving, Bentz allegedly stopped the car near 41st Street and Veterans Parkway to throw the woman's belongings outside, which is when she got out and ran away. He grabbed her by the neck and dragged her back before she convinced him to let her go, Clemens said.

A witness called police, who arrived and arrested Bentz, Clemens said. The woman had some injuries but did not need to be hospitalized.

Bentz is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 2012 of sexual contact with a 6-year-old girl in Meade County.