Police search for suspect in armed kidnapping, robbery and arson

MACCLENNY, Fla. — The Baker County Sheriff's Office says the man sought in Saturday's kidnapping of a pizza delivery driver in Jacksonville is believed to armed and dangerous.

They also say he's responsible for an armed robbery in Union County and arson in Macclenny.

Officers on Sunday identified Cornelius Ruise as the suspect who lured a female pizza driver to a home at 4611 Lane Avenue South, where he pointed a rifle at her and ordered her into her own car.

The victim told police that Ruise informed her he intended to drive the car to Lake City to kill someone.

After traveling for a while, Ruise reportedly stopped the car and told the victim to get into the trunk because he was uncomfortable with the amount of police in the area.

The car then took off westbound on I-10 with the woman in the trunk. At some point she pulled the escape lever.

According to the police report, witnesses spotted the gray Mazda sedan's trunk open and noticed a person's hand appeared to be waving from underneath the lid.

Those witnesses followed the car as it began to leave the interstate at the State Rd. 121 exit in Macclenny.

When the car slowed down to an estimated 40 mph, the victim jumped out of the trunk onto the asphalt. The driver of her car kept going but witnesses stopped to help.

While police were investigating the kidnapping incident, they learned that the Union County Sheriff's Office were also searching for Ruise in connection with an attempted robbery at a Dollar General store in Raiford.

Investigators tell Action News Jax that the robber fled the store without any money after the clerk questioned whether the gun he had was real.

Deputies believe he went from Raiford to the Lake Butler area, where he visited family members.

Relatives reportedly told officers that Ruise bragged about committing the robbery as well as the kidnapping in Jacksonville.

He also reportedly told them he wanted to travel to Lake City but first intended to torch the car belonging to the kidnapping victim.

Around 11:00 p.m. Saturday, Baker County Sheriff's Office received notice that a vehicle was on fire in the area of Quail Lane in Macclenny.

Officers found the stolen Mazda fully engulfed in flames and unoccupied.

Although there was a crowd of bystanders, police say none gave details about the fire or who started it.

Police and K9 units searched the area but did not find Ruise. They believe he is either still in the area or possibly traveling to Lake City where the mother of his children reportedly lives.

Baker County authorities have charged Ruise with kidnapping, grand theft of a motor vehicle and arson.

The kidnapping victim was treated for her injuries, said to be road rash and a bump on her head.

Cox Media Group