Convicted kidnapper Thomas Prichard Jr. was sentenced to 22 years in prison this week for the March 2023 kidnapping of two children in Zanesville, Ohio. The sentence includes an additional year for a separate stolen vehicle case where no children were involved.
The arrest came thanks to the quick actions of Dougie Decosta, a local father and tattoo artist, who spotted the stolen vehicle while getting gas at a Circle K.
“Cop says, ‘What’s your exact location?’ I said, ‘I’m at pump four at Circle K,’” Decosta recalled.
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Decosta noticed the man driving the vehicle was acting strangely and refused to let him get away. Police later confirmed the car had been stolen from outside a dance company, where a mother had left her car running while dropping off her daughter. A baby and a toddler were in the back seat.
“He jumped on the wrong side of the road — on the sidewalk — and went,” Decosta said.
Prichard drove for more than an hour and a half into Washington County before police caught up. Thanks to Decosta’s persistence on the phone with authorities and never letting the car out of sight, the children were rescued safely.
“His sentence was nice and stiff. They made an example out of him,” Decosta said
Since the rescue, Decosta has stayed in touch with the Ohio family.
“They’re a great family,” he said. “We went kayaking together, camping. It was fun. We brought our kids down, and they had a blast.”
Today, the toddler, Isaac, is happy, healthy and grateful for the man who helped save his life.
“It feels really good, honestly,” Decosta said. “I never imagined I’d be a hero. I still don’t consider myself one — I’m a dad. I just did what any dad, or any mom, would do."
Isaac even keeps a ring Decosta gave him that night by his bedside, a small token to remember his hero.
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