A Chilling Kidnapping Case in Westland
In a shocking turn of events, a man from Westland stands accused of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend, who is expecting a child. The man allegedly held her captive for over two days and has now been formally charged for his actions.
Dakota Joseph Varana, 29, faced his arraignment in the 37th District Court in Warren in relation to these serious allegations. The charges raised against him include unlawful imprisonment, which carries a potential 15-year sentence, meddling with electronic communications, which is a two-year felony, and domestic violence.
Ominously, Varana is also flagged as a habitual second offender. After the arraignment, his bond was set at $60,000 and a further court hearing has been planned for Sept. 24th.
Previous incidents in Varana’s history came forward, including an unresolved issue where he was accused of making harassing or indecent phone calls in Warren. An arrest warrant was ready for him due to this pending case.
The authorities believe that Varana kidnapped his ex-girlfriend after she had collected him from the Upper Peninsula. Apparently, he struck her, confiscated her car keys and mobile phone, and kept her confined in her car for about two and a half days.
It was noted that the woman’s mother alerted the police when her daughter did not return to her home in Warren. On the same day, the victim discovered a resourceful way to call for help by passing a note to a store clerk. She scribbled that she was being kidnapped and needed assistance.
Following this lead, the cops promptly fed the woman’s car’s license plate number into a statewide database. The system notified authorities when the car was identified in another city. The police tried to stop the vehicle, but Varana allegedly sped away, resulting in a car crash. Fortunately, the cops were able to apprehend him following the collision.
Macomb County Prosecutor spoke about this case saying, “The actions of this individual were not only criminal but profoundly cruel. By allegedly kidnapping and holding his pregnant ex-girlfriend against her will, he inflicted unimaginable trauma on both the victim and her unborn child. No one should ever have to endure such fear and helplessness.”
Author: STAFF HERE NORTHVILLE WRITER
The NORTHVILLE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERENorthville.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Northville, Wayne County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the Summer Concert Series, Tunes on Tuesday, and the Northville Farmers Market. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Northville Chamber of Commerce and Northville Community Foundation, plus leading businesses in automotive, software, and retail that power the local economy such as Gentherm, Reliable Software, and Attendance on Demand. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREDetroitMI.com, HEREGrandRapids.com, HERENovi.com, and HEREPlymouth.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Michigan's dynamic landscape.
