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CHARLESTON, S.C. — A Tinder date turned violent and ended in a police pursuit Sunday, leaving a Goose Creek man behind bars on a kidnapping charge. The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Michael James Voorhees, 26, and released new details about the case on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
A woman called 911 shortly after 2 a.m. from her own vehicle and told dispatchers that her date would not let her out. Deputies found the car near Leopold Street in Charleston, and the encounter quickly became a chase that ended near the Ashley River Memorial Bridge.
According to the sheriff’s office, the woman and Voorhees matched on Tinder and agreed to meet in person. Investigators have not described where they first met or why the date took a dangerous turn. But the woman’s 911 call made the situation clear: she wanted out, and Voorhees wouldn’t stop.
She was able to provide enough location information for deputies to find the vehicle. Deputies located it in the area of Leopold Street, a short distance from the Charleston peninsula’s medical district. As officers moved in, Voorhees stopped long enough for the woman to get out in a nearby neighborhood. He then sped away toward Maybank Highway.
Deputies pursued the car, and the decision was made to deploy tire-deflation devices designed to stop fleeing vehicles. The tactic slowed the car but did not immediately end the pursuit. The vehicle eventually collided with a sheriff’s office patrol car near the Ashley River Memorial Bridge.
The woman was safe by then, and officials said no one else was hurt. Voorhees was transported to the Medical University of South Carolina for a medical evaluation, as is routine in custody cases, before being booked into the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center.
The arrest report lists five counts against Voorhees: kidnapping, possession of a stolen vehicle valued at more than $10,000, leaving the scene of a crash, assaulting an officer while resisting arrest, and failing to stop for police.
The stolen-vehicle charge stems from a key detail: the car he was driving belonged to the woman. Investigators confirmed ownership after the crash. That changed the case from a simple flight-and-vehicle incident into a felony-level theft concern.
The kidnapping charge, however, carries the most weight. Deputies allege Voorhees drove the woman against her will inside her own car and refused to release her when she asked. The fact that she eventually walked away as deputies approached is likely to be an important detail in court.
South Carolina’s kidnapping statute covers unlawful confinement, detention, or seizure of another person against that person’s will. The law does not require that a victim be held for a long period of time or moved a long distance. Simply restricting someone’s ability to leave may be enough to support the charge.
Voorhees may attempt to argue that he released the woman as soon as deputies were present and that no physical harm occurred. That could affect plea negotiations or trial strategy, but it would not automatically erase the kidnapping count. Prosecutors often treat the moment when a person is prevented from leaving as the core offense, regardless of how quickly the ordeal ends.
Because the vehicle was valued above $10,000, the stolen property charge was elevated as a felony. South Carolina law treats higher-value stolen vehicles more seriously, and a conviction on that count can add significant prison time on top of any sentence for kidnapping.
The case has renewed attention on safety concerns tied to dating apps. Tinder and other platforms encourage users to meet in public places, tell friends where they are going, and arrange their own transportation. Those tips are meant to reduce the risk of an uncomfortable or dangerous first meeting.
But the woman in this incident did many of those things. She was in her own car. She was able to call 911. Yet she still found herself unable to leave the vehicle when the situation escalated. Safety advocates say that’s a reminder that a first meeting can shift quickly, and that even a trusted-looking match can pose a risk.
Some experts recommend video-chatting before an in-person date, sharing live location with a friend, and setting a clear agreement about who will drive. If one person controls the transportation, the other may feel trapped. In this case, the victim had her own transportation, which allowed her to summon help but did not immediately secure her freedom.
Jail records showed Voorhees in custody Wednesday morning. The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains active and additional charges have not been ruled out. Court records had not yet listed an attorney for him at the time of publication, and no bond hearing had been scheduled in the initial filings.
The South Carolina legal process for felony charges begins with a bond hearing, followed by a probable cause review and, in many cases, a grand jury indictment. A kidnapping charge carries the possibility of significant prison time if convicted, and the added counts and the pursuit would likely weigh heavily in any plea discussions.
The woman’s name has not been released, consistent with the sheriff’s office’s practice in cases involving alleged victims of kidnapping and threats.
What begins as a match on a dating app can end in a courtroom. That was never more apparent than in this case, where a late-night date spilled into police lights, a crashed patrol car, and a trip to jail.
Voorhees is expected to appear in court in the coming days. Until then, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office continues to gather evidence, including witness accounts, dispatch recordings, and any patrol camera footage that may have captured the pursuit.
For the woman involved, she escaped with only the shock of the incident. For Voorhees, the consequences could shape the rest of his life.
