Iowa man pleads not guilty in chloroform abduction of woman

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man accused of hiding in the back seat a Nebraska woman’s car and using homemade chloroform, duct tape and zip ties to abduct a woman has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and other charges.

Zack Smith, 20, of Bronson, entered a written plea Monday in Woodbury County District Court to charges of third-degree kidnapping, assault while participating in a felony and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, the Sioux City Journal reported.

Smith was arrested June 3, the same day Sioux City police said the woman from South Sioux City, Neb., was reported missing a day after her car was found abandoned with her purse and cellphone inside. Police focused on Smith, who was an ex-boyfriend of the woman.

Under questioning, Smith admitted he had hidden in the back of the woman’s vehicle for more than three hours and used a toy replica of a handgun to force her into his vehicle. He blindfolded and bound her and held a towel he had soaked with homemade chloroform over her face, police said.

The woman told police she lost consciousness and awakened alone in a storage shed at Smith's home, but was able to escape, despite being bound.

Smith's trial has been scheduled for Aug. 17, although that date is likely to change. Smith remained in jail on a $250,000 bond.