Kidnap Victim Recovering, Suspect Dead

Posted: Nov 8, 2013 10:07 PM by Erin Steuber

Friday afternoon, family members cheered after their kidnapped loved one is found alive after two days; The suspect, dead. Bethany Arceneaux is recovering in a Lafayette Hospital. Her two-day ordeal came to an end in an abandoned home in Duson where she was held at knife point, and stabbed. She was found by family members, who were part of a search party. Police say one of them shot and killed the suspect.

This all started Wednesday night in Lafayette when police say Arceneaux was abducted near her son's daycare on Madeline Avenue. Her ex-boyfriend, Scott Thomas, forced her in a car; Their two year old son was also there, but a woman across the street stepped in and managed to get the child away. Later Wednesday night, Thomas's car was found 9 miles away on Anderson Road in Duson; It's not too far away from where Arcenaux was found Friday, in an abandoned home. That's where Arcenaux's family took justice into their own hands.

It was an early morning of searching for the Arceneaux family as they began to post and distribute flyers.

'I believe in my heart that she is still alive and we're going to bring her home,' said her Aunt, Monica Arceneaux Henry. 'We're going to do whatever we have to do to get her back home to her baby Aiden.'

And that's exactly what they did. Family members searching near Anderson Road found, both, Bethany Arceneaux and her kidnapper, Scott Thomas, inside an abandoned home. Deputies say when the search party discovered Thomas he began to stab Arceneaux with a knife. And at that point, deputies say one of her family members shot, and killed, Thomas.

'I can just imagine how chaotic that confrontation was. The person who acted in defense of Ms. Arceneaux is a relative, a close relative to her. So I can imagine his emotions were probably high, and everyone's levels were very escalated,' said Cpt. Kip Judice with the LPSO.

Judice says the person who shot Thomas is fully cooperating with police.

'You know it's very tragic. I don't want to take that away from it. But we have a lot to be thankful for; No one else was hurt, no law enforcement officers were hurt, Ms. Arceneaux is going to recover and that's a good thing,' said Judice.

Family members say, given the circumstance, Arceneaux is doing well and her son was even brought to the hospital for a visit.

Police have not pressed charges against that family member who they say shot Thomas, and charges may never be filed. According to state law, homicide can be justified if someone's life is in danger.