Story highlights
Nathaniel E. Kibby, 34, will be arraigned Tuesday on kidnapping charges
Abigail Hernandez, 15, returned home last week
Hernandez vanished as she headed home from school on October 9, 2013
Hernandez returned to her home last week, more than nine months after she went missing on the way home from school.
New Hampshire resident Nathaniel E. Kibby was arrested Monday and charged with one count of felony kidnapping for “knowingly confining Abigail Hernandez on October 9, 2013, in Conway, New Hampshire, with a purpose to commit an offense against her,” according to New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph A. Foster.
Kibby was arrested at his home in Gorham, New Hampshire, investigators said.
Hernandez’s case drew national attention when the then 14-year-old girl went missing last fall. But the mystery surrounding her disappearance only deepened when authorities and her family revealed few details upon her return last Sunday.
“Over the course of the past week, law enforcement officers have worked around the clock to ascertain the facts and circumstances surrounding Abigail’s disappearance and return,” according to Foster’s statement.
Investigators said Hernandez provided police with details of her kidnapping that were “sufficient to warrant today’s arrest.”
Kibby’s arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday in Conway District Court.
In a statement released Monday, Hernandez, who is now 15, thanked those who searched for her while she was missing.
“My gratitude is beyond words. It’s an incredible feeling to be home and I believe in my heart that your hopes and prayers played a major role in my release,” Hernandez said.
Last week, investigators released a sketch of a man they said drove the teen away in a navy blue pickup truck on October 9.
Investigators also released photographs last week of black pants, a gray striped sweater and a camouflage-colored National Guard bag, asking for information from anyone who “saw Abigail Hernandez or a female wearing the clothing and drawstring bag.”
CNN’s Catherine E. Shoichet and Marina Carver contributed to this report.