Destiny Outreach Ministries, a church in Tazewell, Virginia, has reportedly boosted its security following the kidnapping of 2-year-old Noah Gabriel Trout from nearby Giles County.
WVNS TV reported that Destiny Outreach Ministries Pastor Steve Branch said they have prepared his church "for the worst" after the abduction of Trout in his church in Giles and due to their location, which is near from the incident.
"We have security, people within our congregation that have concealed weapons that are trained. We have all of our doors locked, we just have one entrance going in the front so we have more control over that," Branch revealed.
"We're right here on 460. That's why we do our best to keep all the doors locked because if somebody comes in, they can go out the door but not come in, so we try to focus everything inside on one door so we have the opportunity to handle something before they come in," he added.
Branch told WVNS TV that their church's doors are locked but the ushers have keys to them so that in the case of emergency they can be opened during service. The ushers have the keys because they walk around to check everyone is "safe inside and out."
This way, he explained to WVNS TV, nobody can come in the church while service is ongoing. He raised that their church is a peaceful place but they are "prepared for anything." Branch, however, hopes they don't need to use the additional security measures, such a new sign out system for kids that will be implemented through an app and stickers that they intend to start once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
According to WJHL News Channel 11, Trout was abducted on Sunday, May 2, while attending church service with his family at the Riverview Baptist Center in Ripplemead, Giles County. A woman, Nancy Renee Fridley, was seen going out of the church with Trout.
The child's abduction led to the Riverview Baptist Church cancelling all services afterwards but remained open to receive those who wished to pray for Trout. The only lead the church had to the abductor who was unidentified then was a suspicious-looking "vehicle parked across from the church parking lot for an extended time during Sunday morning's second service."
WJHL News Channel 11 added that police said Trout was last seen at the Big Stony Creek Road in Ripplemead at noontime of Sunday. The Giles County Sheriff's Office then partnered with the "FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, the Virginia State Police, the VA ABC Enforcement, the Pearisburg Police Department, and the NCMEC."
After much investigation, WJHL News Channel 11 said that Trout was found in the home of Fridley. Authorities said they were able to recover him after a child matching the description of Trout was spotted near the area of Fridley's home. Trout has been returned safely to his family come Monday afternoon.
Fridley, who is 44-years old, was then charged with "one count of abduction and one count of felony child endangerment." Fridley's boyfriend, Bobby Lee Taylor, has also been charged as accomplice with one count of abduction. Taylor has been arrested together with Fridley and have been sent to the Alleghany Regional Jail waiting for their arraignment.
