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Dad’s text instructs teen to ‘grab wheel’ during alleged Henrico abduction

Posted at 7:45 PM, Jul 23, 2015
and last updated 2015-07-23 20:13:45-04

HENRICO, Va. – The Glen Allen man accused of kidnapping, strangling, and sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman will remain behind bars.

A Henrico judge denied Aaron Berg, age 23,  bond based on his current charges and his criminal past. In court, Berg's attorney tried to show that the victim was not being truthful in this case.

The victim met Berg online in May, and was traveling to Northern Virginia with Berg, according to the search warrant affidavit. She has had sexual intercourse with him multiple times in the past, according to the documents.

Attorney Craig Cooley told the judge that the alleged victim had travelled with his family on numerous trips and gave the judge pictures to prove it. 

Cooley said she didn't tell her family about the relationship because she is a Mormon and not allowed to date anyone outside of her faith.

The day that the woman was rescued from the interstate by a construction worker, Berg and her fought, according to the search warrant.

The night before the incident they drank alcohol together and had sex. 

The documents also indicated that they argued the next morning after he found out she was talking to other guys.

That morning the victim alleged that Berg said he was going to kill her. He then tried to force her to give him oral sex, according to the documents, but she said no.

He forcibly accomplished the act despite the protests, according to the documents.

When she said she needed to leave the house, he allegedly forced her to get into the car and send a text to her parents.

The text was supposed to say that she was going out of town for a few days with a boyfriend and that she was okay. And Berg texted his parents that same day and said the two of them were headed to the Baltimore Aquarium.

Instead she sent messages to her dad that she was being abducted and he told her to grab the steering wheel. Berg allegedly hit her in the face when she did.

When the car pulled over at the 155 mile marker on Interstate 95, she ran from the vehicle and located workers who called Virginia State Police.

Kevin Huntington saw the teen and called cops. He said he noticed a car coming toward the work zone at a high speed.

“I noticed a female jump out of the car, she came running up to us and and you could tell she was pretty distraught and terrified,” said Huntington.

Huntington said the 18-year-old asked him to call 911, which he did immediately.

“I asked the female if she was okay and she said no, there was a man trying to kill her, I told her just stay behind me and I wouldn’t let anything happen to her,” he said.

“He did approach us,” he said, “He came up the shoulder and got out of the car and noticed he was on the phone.”

And while the teen was able to escape, Kevin has a message for those about what this has all taught him.

“Pick up the phone and help somebody, you never know who’s life you may save,” he said

Berg faces several charges including abduction with intent to defile and forcible sodomy, which carries a life sentence.

He returns to Henrico's General District court on August 18.

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