Arizona police say that a man is facing multiple charges after a bizarre series of incidents at a truck stop and on I-40 in the Kingman area.
Forty-two year old California resident Kris Kristoferson Sousa has been charged with Unlawful Imprisonment, two counts of Criminal Damage, 3rd Degree Escape, Bribing a Public Servant, and Obstructing a Public Highway, according to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).
The charges stem from an incident that began around 7:30 a.m. on Friday, November 27, at a truck stop located in Kingman, Arizona.
Police received calls about a male subject who was harassing truck drivers in the parking lot of the truck stop. The truck stop manager also called police about the male subject, who was allegedly threatening truck drivers and accusing them of kidnapping his wife.
When officers arrived on scene, they were approached by the male subject, who was later identified as Sousa. Sousa reportedly said that his wife had been kidnapped. When police were unable to substantiate this claim, they warned Sousa to leave the truck drivers alone and stop causing a disturbance. Sousa left the truck stop in a vehicle.
Soon after Sousa left the truck stop, police learned that Sousa had been seen driving the wrong direction on the off ramp to I-40. Officers began patrolling looking for him, then received a call indicating that Sousa was blocking traffic on I-40 at mile marker 65.
When officers arrived on scene, they found Sousa’s vehicle parked sideways in the #1 lane and a semi-truck stopped behind it inbetween both lanes.
Police ordered Sousa to the ground and were able to take him into custody, but officers said he kept pulling away and offering money to police if they would let him go.
The truck driver who was parked behind Sousa’s vehicle told police that he had watched Sousa drive from the shoulder of the roadway onto I-40. The truck driver moved to the #1 lane. “Sousa then accelerated past the truck and began braking in front of him, causing the driver to slam on his brakes, which shifted his load and caused significant damage to the product he was carrying,” MCSO says.
After police spoke to the truck driver, they heard a banging noise from the patrol car where he was being held and saw Sousa kicking the door, causing significant damage. Sousa was placed in leg irons.
During transport to the Mohave County Adult Detention Facility, Sousa continued to attempt to bribe police into letting him go.
Officers later contacted Sousa’s wife, who confirmed that she had not been kidnapped.