Police say the suspect, her ex-boyfriend, was arrested after a brief chase in a U-Haul.
BUTLER, PA — Surveillance video from a convenience store in Butler County shows a woman sprinting inside for help as police say her ex-boyfriend followed, moments after he assaulted her and tried to kidnap her in a U-Haul on Valentine’s Day.
The case has drawn attention because the escape happened in public and was captured on multiple security cameras, including video that shows the suspect entering the store and searching for the woman. Police say the suspect, 53-year-old Kenneth M. Clarke of Pittsburgh, was taken into custody after officers spotted the U-Haul and stopped it following a short chase. Court records show Clarke has been arraigned and is being held in the Butler County Jail on $250,000 bail as the investigation continues.
Butler City police said officers were dispatched about 2 p.m. Sat., Feb. 14, to the 100 block of Pillow Street for a report of a possible kidnapping and domestic assault. Investigators said the woman told officers the violence began earlier on McGeary Street in Butler City, where Clarke allegedly struck her in the face multiple times. Police said the woman reported that her lip ring was torn out during the assault and that she suffered abrasions around her mouth. She also told investigators that Clarke put both hands around her neck and strangled her until she began to lose consciousness, then grabbed her by the hair and shoved her into a wall.
According to investigators, the woman said she suffered a cut to her left ear and that her shirt was torn as the struggle continued. Police said the woman reported that Clarke dragged her from a residence by her hair, forced her into the front of a U-Haul van and drove away while holding a pair of scissors and making threats. The woman told police she believed she was in immediate danger and decided to try to escape soon after the vehicle left. Investigators said the U-Haul came to a stop at an intersection in Butler City, where the woman said Clarke nearly ran a red light and then backed the vehicle up.
Police said the woman told them Clarke threatened to kill her while he still had the scissors in his hand. Investigators said she opened the passenger-side door and ran as soon as she had a chance. As she fled, she told police Clarke tried to stab her with the scissors. Police said the scissors struck her in the backside and cut her pants. The woman then ran into Butler Tobacco and Grocery, a small store nearby, where security video shows her rushing through the door and moving quickly toward the back of the shop.
A store employee, Tori Adams, said the woman came inside yelling that someone tried to kidnap her and that she had gotten away. Adams said the scene unfolded in seconds and that the woman appeared badly shaken and injured. “There was blood down her face,” Adams said, describing the woman as shoeless, with ripped clothing and disheveled hair. Adams said she directed the woman to a back room and put herself between the woman and the front of the store as the suspect approached.
Security video shows a man entering the store soon after and looking around, according to police and employees who reviewed the footage. Adams said the man was yelling and seemed intent on finding the woman. She said she told him the police were being called and that he needed to leave. “It was kind of mama bear mode activated,” Adams said, adding that her child was in the store with her. Adams said she was frightened but focused on keeping the man away from the back room until help arrived.
Police identified the man in the video as Clarke and said he left the store before officers arrived, returning to the U-Haul. Investigators said a be-on-the-lookout alert was issued for Clarke and the vehicle, and officers later spotted the U-Haul on Route 68. Police said Evans City and Jackson Township officers stopped the vehicle after a brief chase that ended in the Cranberry area. Clarke was taken into custody and turned over to Butler City police, authorities said.
Clarke faces multiple felony charges, including kidnapping, aggravated assault, strangulation and terroristic threats, along with simple assault, police said. Investigators have not publicly released the woman’s name. Police also have not said whether she required hospitalization, but employees who saw her said she appeared injured, bleeding and shaken. Authorities did not immediately release additional details about any prior calls involving the couple, and police have not described what led to their encounter that afternoon.
The surveillance clips have become a central piece of evidence because they show the woman’s movement from the street into the store and the suspect’s actions as he follows her inside, officials said. The footage also shows how quickly the escape happened, with the woman running from the vehicle and the suspect arriving moments later. Investigators said they are relying on the victim’s account, video evidence from the store and nearby cameras, and reports from officers involved in the stop to build the case.
Store manager Lisa Albert said staff members have continued talking about the incident and checking for updates on the woman’s condition. Albert praised Adams for stepping in and staying calm under pressure. “Anybody who comes in if they need help we try to help them no matter who they are,” Albert said. Adams said she focused on keeping the suspect away from the back room and on staying on the line with 911 while urging him to leave.
In Pennsylvania, kidnapping and aggravated assault cases typically proceed through a preliminary hearing where prosecutors must show enough evidence for the charges to move forward, followed by formal arraignment and additional court dates if the case is held for trial. Authorities have not announced a public timeline for the next hearing in Clarke’s case. Police said the investigation remains active, and additional information could be filed in court as detectives review evidence and interview witnesses.
For now, police say the key facts are clear: a woman reported being beaten and forced into a U-Haul by her ex-boyfriend, she escaped when the vehicle stopped, and she reached safety inside a nearby store while employees called police. Clarke remains in custody on $250,000 bail, and the next major milestone will be his first scheduled court hearing in Butler County.
Author note: Last updated February 17, 2026.