A Tennessee man and woman previously charged with multiple felonies in state court in connection with the alleged abduction of a 17-year-old Hot Springs girl on April 19 were arraigned Friday in U.S. District Court on federal kidnapping charges.
Samuel Wayne Bolling Jr., 38, who is reportedly from Nashville, Tenn., and Dayla Diane Ferrer, 20, of Memphis, Tenn., were indicted on June 15 by a federal grand jury on felony charges of kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, both punishable by up to life in prison.
The federal arraignments were held via Zoom on Friday. Bolling was arraigned at 10 a.m. and Ferrer was arraigned at 1 p.m.
Bolling and Ferrer were arrested by Hot Springs police on April 19 at a condo at 4810 Central Ave., which Bolling was reportedly renting, and each charged with kidnapping, rape and aggravated robbery, each punishable by up to life in prison, first-degree battery, punishable by up to 20 years, and first-degree false imprisonment, punishable by up to 10 years.
Bolling pleaded not guilty to the state charges on April 26 and is set to appear again Tuesday in Garland County Circuit Court. Ferrer pleaded not guilty to her charges on May 2 and is set for a hearing on July 7 on the admissibility of any statements she made to police after her arrest and to address her bond.
As of Friday, both Bolling and Ferrer remained in custody on bonds totaling $1 million each with their cases filed under seal directly to circuit court shortly after their arrests, so the affidavits are not available. A gag order limiting pretrial publicity was also issued in the case shortly after their arrests.
A statewide AMBER Alert had been issued for the missing teen the morning of April 19 after she was reportedly abducted around 9:15 p.m. on April 18 from the downtown area after leaving her workplace.
She was found shortly before 3:30 p.m. that same day in the 4700 block of Central Avenue and taken to a local hospital, according to a release from Hot Springs police. Bolling and Ferrer were developed as suspects in her abduction and arrested a short time later.