Man kidnapped in broad daylight, rescued by Burlington Police

By Michael Bielawski,

A man in Burlington was assaulted while in his parked car, then dragged out and shoved into another car, which then sped away. It all happened in broad daylight with folks watching in the Queen City.

This happened on Thursday at about 4:41 in the afternoon at a parking lot on Pearl Street.

“Multiple individuals contacted the Burlington Police Department Emergency Communications Center to report a suspected kidnapping,” the police report states. “Callers indicated that a male was assaulted inside a parked vehicle and forced into a black and white truck, which then sped away from the parking lot of 242 Pearl Street.”

When police arrived at the scene they learned that a 31-year-old man had been “assaulted and taken against his will from inside his personal vehicle,” they report.

Police were able to track the suspect’s vehicle to Richford. There State Troopers and Border Patrol were able to detain two suspects. One fled on foot but was eventually apprehended.

Joseph Paige & Jeffrey Domingue

The victim was rescued relatively safely. The 31-year-old victim was found to have minor injuries and was taken to the University of Vermont Medical Center. The report does not get into possible motives for the kidnapping.

Solving this took a coordinated effort by the U.S. Border Patrol, Vermont State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Williston PD. Two suspects were apprehended and held without bail until arraignments.

11 failures to appear

One suspect was Jeffrey A. Domingue, 35, of Sheldon. He was the driver of the car and he is being charged with kidnapping and larceny. He also has a history with the law.

“A review of Mr. Domingue’s criminal history shows that he has 11 Failures to Appear, three felony convictions, two misdemeanor convictions, and two convictions for assaultive crimes,” the report states.

A runaway from Philly

Another suspect attempted to run away but didn’t make it very far. He was from out of state.

The report states, “Later that day, the male who had previously fled into the woods was located and arrested in Williston, VT. Joseph Paige, 37, of Philadelphia, PA, was arrested and charged with Kidnapping, Assault and Robbery, and Unlawful Restraint.”

Paige also has a lengthy history with police in Philadelphia. These include “drug offenses, weapon offenses, and violent offenses such as aggravated assault, kidnapping, retaliating against a victim, and robbery.”

Another Vermont kidnapping

In 2023, Vermont made national news when a kidnapping victim was able to escape her captors while her hands were still tied.

The New York Post reported, “First responders arrived at Bay Street in St. Johnsbury around 11:30 p.m. Feb. 23 based on reports of a woman in a vehicle with her hands tied together and part of her head obscured by a bag taped to it, Vermont State Police said in a press release.”

The challenges with kidnappings

According to the National Library of Medicine (NIH), kidnappings can have traumatic impacts on the victims.

“There is evidence to suggest that how best to help those who have been taken hostage is a sensitive and complex matter, and those who deal with such individuals should be as well informed as possible since such events can have long-term adverse consequences,” it states.

The US Department of Justice has police guidelines for kidnappings.

“Kidnapping investigations are reactive and require investigators to make plans or modify existing plans on a moment's notice, based on the requirements of a situation," it states.

It continues that any decisions regarding ransom payments must be “the sole responsibility of the victim's family.”  It also cites the Computer Assisted Robbery System as a crime database that can prove helpful in kidnap investigations.

The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle