Today, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph T. Deters announced the indictment of Brent Engel (DOB 1-27-87) in the kidnapping of 84-year-old Mary Douglas. Engel is charged with 1 count of Aggravated Robbery (Felony), 1 count of Robbery (Felony 2), 2 counts of Kidnapping (Felony 1) and 1 count of Abduction (Felony 3). If convicted of all charges he faces in excess of 20 years in prison.

On February 15th at approximately 3:00 p.m., Engel approached Douglas in the parking lot of the CVS located at 110554 Loveland Madeira Road in Symmes Township. As Douglas was getting into her vehicle, Engel approached her and entered the passenger side of her vehicle while holding a box cutter in his left hand. Once in the vehicle, he ordered her to drive to the Fifth Third Bank across the street and ordered her to withdraw $200.00 from the outside ATM. After she withdrew the money, he ordered her to go to a Wendy’s restaurant located at 10501 Loveland Madeira Road where he ordered a value meal from the drive through window. He then had Douglas drive around to various locations.

Eventually, he had Douglas take him to a Norwood White Castle restaurant where he met someone in the parking lot and conducted what appeared to Douglas to be a drug deal. Every time he left Douglas alone in her car, he took her keys and phone with him. When he re-entered her car, he sat in the back seat and injected himself with something from a syringe. He then ordered her to drive to an apartment complex at 800 Arrowhead Trail in Loveland when he called someone from Douglas’ phone. Unable to find the person he was looking for, he then ordered Douglas to drive to the Shell gas station at 11406 Montgomery Road where he finally left her approximately 3-4 hours after the original kidnapping. Before leaving Douglas, he used a Wendy’s napkin to wipe off her vehicle and driver’s license presumably in an effort to eliminate his fingerprints and DNA and instructed her not to call the police as he told her that he, “knows where she lives.”

Douglas immediately contacted her son and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department. The Sheriff’s Department processed her car and other items as evidence and began their investigation.

Engel turned himself in to the police on February 17th.

Prosecutor Deters commented, “This poor lady had to be terrified. I cannot imagine someone sinking so low as to kidnap and terrorize an 84-year-old woman. I give her credit for staying composed and surviving this horrible ordeal. Engel deserves to stay in prison for a long time.”