A man who kidnapped his girlfriend was sentenced in Josephine County Circuit Court today for the crime.

49-year-old Norbert Edward Croft drove away with his girlfriend from the home they shared at 827 O’Brien Road early last December after she had called authorities requesting paramedics. The vehicle they were driving in began to run out of gas and the female victim began screaming for help out of the window. A witness heard the screams and called the Oregon State Police who managed to locate the car near the intersection of Rockydale Road and Floyd Lane.

Troopers say that Croft attempted to flee on foot at the scene but he was quickly apprehended. The victim had visible signs of bruising and according to testimony at the scene Croft was arrested on charges of assault and kidnapping.

The victim addressed the court today and said, “It was both our faults and we’re doing everything we can to make it better,” as she asked the judge for leniency.

Due to the crime’s circumstances, being that the victim suffered a harm less than typical, Judge Newman sentenced Croft to two years in prison utilizing the Measure 11 escape hatch. Croft previously pled guilty to charges of second-degree kidnapping and fourth-degree assault.