Delvin Barnes, the man accused of abducting Carlesha Freeland-Gaither off a Philadelphia street, has an extensive criminal history, including one incident in which he held his estranged wife captive, according to court documents. Police said the "vicious predator" is also a suspect in the abduction and rape of a Virginia teenager.
Barnes, 37, was arrested along the side of a road in Jessup, Maryland, Wednesday, officials said. Freeland-Gaither, the nurse’s aide he allegedly kidnapped Sunday, was rescued from his car at the same location and taken to a nearby hospital in Columbia, Maryland.
Barnes, who has ties to Philadelphia and Virginia, is being held on a bench warrant out of Virginia for alleged capital attempted murder in Charles City County. He will be charged federally in connection to Freeland-Gaither’s kidnapping, police said.
Delvin Barnes' uncle Lamar Barnes told NBC10 his nephew's father is a minister and he was raised by good parents. Despite this, he also told NBC10 he isn't "necessarily surprised" by the allegations against his nephew.
"Some men grew up having problems with women, so they take it out on women," Barnes said. "Apparently, he's one of them."
Court documents reveal Barnes has a lengthy criminal history, including an incident several years ago in which he was accused of holding his estranged wife captive inside her Philadelphia home.
On Nov. 28, 2005, Barnes’ estranged wife returned to her home around 9:45 p.m., according to court records. Officials said she had a protective order against Barnes due to past abuse.
As she was going to bed around 10:15 p.m., Barnes jumped out of her bedroom closet and tried to talk to her, record say. She then told him to leave or she would call police, but Barnes refused, according to court records.
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As she went to call 911, Barnes jumped on top of her, grabbed her face and began digging his nails into her skin, court records say. He allegedly hit her in the face, choked her and threatened to kill her.
Barnes then allegedly told her he’d only stop beating her if she took off her clothes. The woman told police she removed her clothes, fearing for her life. She accused Barnes of forcing her to have sex with him three separate times throughout the night, and she told police Barnes forced her to give him oral sex and threatened her with several objects.
The next morning, the woman begged Barnes to let her use the phone and call her parents, telling him she talked to her mother everyday, officials said. As she spoke to her mom, she was able to indicate she was in trouble and told her mother to call 911, according to investigators.
A short time later, the woman’s mother and father walked into the home. As he heard them come in, Barnes, enraged, began to beat the victim again, according to court records. The records say the victim’s father ran into the room with a baseball bat and tried to get Barnes off his daughter. Barnes then allegedly began to beat the victim’s mother, ran into the kitchen and grabbed a knife.
The woman and her parents then ran to a neighbor’s home and called 911 as Barnes fled the scene, police said.
The next day, on Nov. 30, Barnes was found by officers patrolling the area. He was arrested after he tried to flee.
According to court records, Barnes was found guilty in 2006 of aggravated assault, criminal trespassing, false imprisonment, simple assault, reckless endangerment and other offenses for the attack. He was acquitted of rape, unlawful restraint, burglary and attempted involuntary deviant sexual intercourse.
Barnes was also arrested in Virginia in July and accused of making a bomb threat, which is a felony. That charge was amended to trespassing, a misdemeanor, and the case was finally dropped on Oct. 24, court records show.
Authorities later issued a warrant for his arrest related to a teen rape case he was being investigated for in Charles City County, Virginia.
The teen was reported missing back on Oct. 1. Two days later, the girl arrived at a business on Route 106 in Charles City County, Virginia, two miles from Barnes’ home, investigators said. The girl was naked, bleeding and covered in burns from gasoline and bleach, according to police.
Federal authorities said the charges for that case attempted capital murder, assault, malicious injury with acid, forcible rape and other related offenses.
"If he was somebody I didn't know, I'd say whatever they do to him is fine," Lamar Barnes said. "He's my nephew — the same thing. What am I gonna do? It's hard for me to accept the viciousness of it."
