Man Kidnaps His Mother for Two Hours for Money for Heroin
Earlier this month, a man in Rock Hill kidnapped his mother and drove her around the town for two hours while he demanded that she give him money so he could pay off a drug debt for heroin. He has now been arrested.
Justin Peake, 34 years old, was arrested on Thursday, June 20th, after his mother opened an investigation to find him.
Betsey Peake, Justin’s mother, was waiting for her son to pick her up after work on the evening of June 14th so she could go home. However, Justin, who Betsey admits is a long-time heroin addict, held her hostage in the car and drove her around Rock Hill, demanding that she give him $20 so he could pay off a heroin debt. Betsey rolled down the window and yelled for help, and tried to escape once, but Justin pulled her back inside the car.
After two hours, her son gave up and drove Betsey home.
“He said if I had just given him the money everything would have been fine,” Betsey Peake said. “But I had enough. No more money. He went through my whole paycheck with it. He would make me go to the ATM in the middle of the night. My life has been hell. It has to stop.”
She then called the police and had them open an investigation to find Justin.
Justin Peake is currently being held in the York County Detention Center on a $75,000 bond.
Kidnapper Had a Heroin Problem for Years
According to his mother, Justin Peake had been a heroin addict for 19 years. “He’s sick,” she said. “When he’s not drugging, and that is not often, he is good. But…”
Peake was arrested in 2011 on several criminal charges, including trespassing, assault, and unlawful use of a car. He was sentenced to probation and released on New Years’ Eve in 2012, saying he was finally drug-free.
“He lasted 10 days and went right back to that life,” Betsey Peake said.
Betsey Peake says that her son has been in half-way houses, in and out of rehabilitation centers, and a variety of drug treatment programs for years. He started doing drugs, including heroin, as a teenager.
She has filed papers at least three times to have her son evicted from her home because of his heroin problem. She filed again after her kidnapping on June 14th.
“I am 64 years old and I can’t afford to retire because of this,” she said. “It’s a shame we had to go this route. This is my son. But he is not going to get better out here. Maybe now he can get the help he needs.”
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Drug Charges, Including for Heroin Possession
Federal and State drug charges in South Carolina carry some of the stiffest penalties in the nation. When faced with a drug charge, you need a lawyer who knows how the system works and will fight to protect your rights. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm have extensive experience with the criminal justice system in South Carolina, and can help you with drug charges from simple possession of marijuana to felony trafficking of heroin. We offer free, confidential consultations, so contact us today. 803.252.4800
