Nye County authorities looking for man accused of attacking, kidnapping elderly woman

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Authorities in Nye County are searching for a man that they say is accused of attacking an elderly woman last week.

According to the Nye County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO), after 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 22, an elderly woman was awoken when she was attacked by an unknown male, believed to be Ryan Sanders, in her residence in the 1000 block of Enchanted Mesa in Pahrump.

Authorities say the victim was “subjected to repeated brutal attacks by the male who also burglarized her residence.”

NCSO says the woman was then was forced into the back of her white 2018 Honda Civic, with Nevada license plate 979T74, and driven to the area of Desert View Hospital. Police say a second person, identified as Richard Duncan, 31, is believed to have entered the vehicle at the hospital and the car continued driving.

Authorities say the victim was driven along an unknown route to a vacant lot with an abandoned RV in the 3000 block of Malibou in Pahrump prior to sunrise on Nov. 22.

The victim, according to authorities, was again brutally attacked, lost conciseness and left for dead. Hours later the victim awoke, fled to a nearby residence, and the NCSO was contacted, police said in a post on Facebook.

NCSO advises that at some point after the victim was taken from her residence, her second vehicle, a grayish-blue 2008 Chrysler 300 with Nevada license plate 710VMC, was also taken.

At 2 a.m. on Nov. 24, authorities say the victim’s Honda Civic was located abandoned in the area of Elderberry and Leslie in Pahrump. Police say it was determined that the Honda Civic arrived in that location between 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 23 and 2 a.m. on Nov. 24. NCSO updated on Facebook that the Chrysler 300 was then recovered on Nov. 26.

On Saturday, Nye County authorities say Richard Duncan was taken into custody after evidence was located that tied him to the incident. NCSO is still searching for Ryan Sanders.

NCSO confirmed that Sanders may be with a 13-year-old boy, his son. Police said they don’t believe the boy is in any immediate danger.

According to authorities, a citizen is offering a $5,000 reward for information on the whereabouts of Sanders.

On the Facebook post, NCSO asked the public for help is the following:

1. If you know Ryan Sanders location, please contact the NCSO via 911, email sheriff@co.nye.nv.us, or social media.

2. Please review your surveillance systems during these times to see if any of the events were caught on video.

3. If you saw something possibly related to any of these events or individuals please report them immediately.

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