Man Wanted In Montco For Kidnapping, Rape Is Captured: Sheriff

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — A man wanted in Montgomery County on kidnapping and rape charges was arrested in Georgia, authorities announced on Thursday.

Darnell H. Penn, 38, of Philadelphia, had been on the run for weeks. He missed a court date earlier this month, court documents show, and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office had posted him on their most wanted criminal fugitives list.

Kennesaw, Georgia police officers arrested him on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

Officers found Penn in an apartment at the Bridges of Kennesaw Apartments, 3840 Jiles Rd. Penn initially refused to come out of the apartment and would not let three other people leave the apartment or open the door for officers, the department said.

Officers were able to get Penn to surrender after a brief period of negotiation, and he was taken into custody, police said.

He is currently incarcerated at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center and is awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania.

CBS3 reported that Penn worked at a Five Guys restaurant where he "created a hellish work environment for certain employees."

"He used his position of authority over teenage girls to get them to do things with him," Plymouth Township Police Detective Sgt. Tom Longo told CBS3.

Police said Penn "forced a teenage girl who worked for him to expose herself inside the restaurant's bathroom. He's also accused of sexually assaulting another teen employee in his car in the parking lot," CBS3 said.

Charges include kidnapping of a minor facilitate felony/flight, rape forcible compulsion, sexual assault, child pornography, corruption of minors, and numerous other counts. In addition to the out-of-state warrants, the Kennesaw Police Department charged Penn with misdemeanor obstruction, misdemeanor giving a false name/date of birth, and three counts of felony false imprisonment.

A preliminary hearing is forthcoming.

With reporting from Patch correspondent Kathleen Sturgeon