Man kidnaps girlfriend, taking her to Vegas to get married to him by force.

A 22-year-old man from Washington, USA, could be jailed for more than five years for kidnapping his girlfriend.

The suspect, Thomas Martin Pfeiffer, was arrested in the early hours of December 27, 2013, Friday, and hit with a slew of charges, chief among them kidnapping.

According to police, Thomas has allegedly kidnapped his girlfriend on Thursday night and, with their 22-month-old daughter in tow, set off on a 1,000-mile drive to Las Vegas to get married.

A 23-year-old victim, Virginia Valdez, was apparently not eager to be a bride, and told police that when they stopped for gas Friday morning in Baker City, State of Oregon, she felt there were enough people around to stage her own rescue.

Valdez lay on the ground near the gas pumps and started screaming. The witnessed have called the police immediately.

The kidnapper also faces charges of menacing, coercion, fourth-degree assault, harassment, and unlawful use of a weapon, but the kidnapping charge alone carries a sentence of five years and 10 months in Oregon.

-naij