Police said the woman was safely recovered after a license plate and surveillance video helped identify the suspect.
WINTER PARK, FL — A 44-year-old man was arrested after police said he forced a woman into a pickup truck outside a busy Wawa gas station in Winter Park on May 31 and drove away as an off-duty deputy tried to stop him.
Matthew Hunt Seaberg faces charges of kidnapping, tampering with a victim and battery after the incident at the Wawa at 901 N. Orlando Ave., police said. The case drew attention because it happened in a public parking lot, was captured on surveillance video and involved an off-duty Orange County sheriff’s deputy who heard the woman screaming and moved in to help. The woman was later found safe, and the criminal case remained active this week.
The incident happened around 8:30 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of the gas station, a busy stop along North Orlando Avenue in Orange County. According to an arrest affidavit, Seaberg approached the woman from behind, lifted her by the waist onto his shoulder and carried her to a black Ford Super Duty pickup truck. Police said he placed her in the front passenger seat. An off-duty deputy who was fueling his vehicle nearby heard the woman scream, “Stop, please. You are hurting me,” according to the affidavit. The deputy identified himself as law enforcement, showed his badge and tried to help her get out of the truck.
Before the woman could get away, police said, Seaberg pulled her back into the pickup and accelerated out of the parking lot. The rear passenger door was still open as the truck moved away, and the deputy was near the door threshold when the vehicle left, according to the affidavit. The truck headed south on North Orlando Avenue. Investigators said Wawa surveillance cameras recorded the encounter and showed the woman flailing and trying to get out of the vehicle. Police later used witness information and a license plate search to identify Seaberg. The woman’s name has not been released, and officials have not publicly detailed any injuries.
Early reports described the episode as a stranger abduction, but police later said detectives believed Seaberg and the woman knew each other. Officials did not describe their relationship, citing the active investigation. That update added a new layer to the case but did not end the charges. Court records showed that the woman filed documents asking prosecutors not to pursue charges against Seaberg. Such a request does not automatically stop a criminal case. Prosecutors, not victims, decide whether charges move forward, though a victim’s position can become part of the review.
Seaberg was arrested after the incident and booked on two first-degree felony counts tied to kidnapping and victim tampering, along with a misdemeanor battery count. Police said the surveillance video, the deputy’s account, witness statements and the vehicle information were central to the investigation. Seaberg pleaded not guilty, according to court records. He was being held without bond in the immediate aftermath of the arrest, and his next court hearing was set for June 9. Investigators had not announced whether additional charges were expected.
The Wawa sits in a commercial stretch of Winter Park, where gas pumps and store traffic can keep the area active into the evening. The presence of an off-duty deputy at the pumps put law enforcement at the scene within moments, police said. The deputy’s attempt to intervene did not stop the truck from leaving, but investigators said the response helped establish what happened and gave police a quick start in tracking the vehicle. Witnesses also helped provide details that led officers to Seaberg. Police have not said how long the woman was inside the truck before she was found safe.
The case now moves through Orange County court while Winter Park police continue to investigate. As of June 5, the charges were still active, the woman was safe and the next listed milestone was Seaberg’s June 9 court hearing.
Author note: Last updated June 5, 2026.