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Central Iowa man charged with kidnapping girl at knife-point

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November 11th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A Des Moines man is jailed who police say kidnapped his own daughter. Des Moines police were called to a house Sunday afternoon where a woman claimed the non-custodial father of her child had kicked in a door, threatened her with a machete, then forcibly took their four-year-old daughter. Minutes later, police spotted the suspect’s car, pulled him over and arrested him — though the child wasn’t with him.

The girl was located a short time later, unharmed, at the home of a relative of the suspect. Police say 36-year-old Duane VanDenHemel is charged with kidnapping, burglary and violation of a no contact order and is being held in the Polk County Jail.