91-Year-Old Kidnapping Victim Rescued After Highway Chase

By Jordan Reyes. Oct 19, 2026

A 91-year-old woman was rescued after a highway pursuit in Arizona. Before the chase, an officer had noticed her unresponsive inside a car, Yuma police said.

The Oct. 11 encounter ended on Interstate 8 in Arizona. Jeffrey Alan Proett, 57, was arrested and now faces charges including kidnapping, according to police and Yuma County jail records.

Both Proett and the woman were from Colorado. Police said they knew each other, but investigators had not established the nature of their relationship in the account given to Arizona’s Family.

An Officer Noticed the Passenger

Before 4 a.m., a Yuma officer located a vehicle that had previously fled Wellton police. The vehicle pulled into a gas station after traveling in the wrong direction on a nearby street, police said.

When the officer approached, Proett allegedly struck him and drove away, knocking him down. The officer suffered minor injuries.

He radioed that an elderly woman in the vehicle appeared unresponsive.

Troopers Stopped the Car on Interstate 8

Officers located the vehicle again and pursued it eastbound on Interstate 8. Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers joined the pursuit and used tire-deflation equipment near milepost 43.

Police said Proett initially refused to leave the vehicle, and Yuma’s Special Enforcement Team was called. He was taken into custody.

The woman was transported to Onvida Health in Yuma and was reported in stable condition. Police told Arizona’s Family that no missing-person report had been filed for her.

Kidnapping Charge Follows the Rescue

Yuma County’s jail record lists pending allegations that include kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, vulnerable-adult abuse and aggravated assault. Those charges are allegations and do not establish guilt.

KYMA reported that Proett is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 21.

References: 91-year-old kidnapping victim rescued after high-speed chase in Yuma, police say | Man accused of kidnapping and running away from Yuma police formally charged | Inmate Detail - PROETT, JEFFREY ALAN