Durham man arrested after taking wife, child hostage

Durham, N.C. — A man was arrested after holding his wife and child hostage in their Durham home for about 90 minutes Monday evening.

Officers were called to the house at 2710 Hamilton Green Drive at 4:02 p.m.

"It was involving a gentleman holding his wife hostage in an upstairs bedroom,” said Lt. Robert McLaughlin, with the Durham Police Department.

Thuc Nguyn watched the hostage scene play out from a window in his home. He and other neighbors were warned to stay inside by police.

"We were scared,” Nguyn said.

About a dozen police vehicles surrounded the house as a negotiator talked Jehangir Taraporewalla into surrendering at 5:42 p.m.

"The female and the child came running out of the house, and the suspect came out right behind them and he was quickly taken into custody,” McLaughlin said.

The woman and child were OK, police said. Taraporewalla, 52, was charged with second-degree kidnapping, assault and communicating threats.

The incident closed Lumley Road for about two hours between South Miami Boulevard and Bonnie Brae Road.

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Latest Comments

this is so great to see that the police took this call seriously and to see it publicized. When a family member tells another family member they cannot leave the house, there has been some history of police not jumping in to consider it kidnapping. But it is a tool of domestic violence. So altho it seems like a "bad" story, I am SO glad to see it in the news where it is educating people of their rights.

SingleLensReflex.SLR
December 23, 2008 1:43 p.m.

He is not a gentleman if he would do this to his wife and child.

sayitoutloud
December 23, 2008 12:50 p.m.

Sadly, the rate of domestic violence increases when the economy takes a down turn. I hope that this woman and her child get the necessary counseling to help them through this traumatic event.

Bulldog22
December 23, 2008 8:56 a.m.

Hope everyone is alright. Sure seems to be a lot of people on edge, lately. I hope folks take some time to focus on what is important to them.

meh2
December 22, 2008 7:25 p.m.