SWAT Standoff in Abilene: 2 women charged with kidnapping, Family claims they were hostages

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Two Abilene women are charged with aggravated kidnapping after Tuesday’s SWAT standoff where police shot and killed one suspect. The family is asking why the girls in the house with the suspect are charged as suspects themselves.

Yakeyah Jones, also known as YaYa, and McKenzee Lane, also known as Zee, were both arrested after yesterday’s standoff. Both are in the Taylor County Jail. YaYa is charged with two counts of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and one count of aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon. Zee is charged with one count of aggravated kidnapping and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

We spoke with Kandra Garza, who YaYa considers her mother figure, and she said YaYa and Zee were the ones being held hostage by Jeremy Bennett, the man who the police shot and killed.

“The girls did not come out when the cops ordered them to come out, and although Jeremy told them they could go one or the other, neither one of the girls would leave one or the other. They were staying together; they were standing by each other through this with a guy that had a gun to their face,” Garza said.

Abilene Police say that Jeremy Bennett threatened two females inside a home in the area of South 7th and Alameda, then retreated to a nearby house. He retreated to the home where the standoff occurred, on the corner of Alameda and Pueblo. KTAB/KRBC asked the police why Yaya and Zee were charged; police say they both were with Jeremy Bennett when he threatened two females in the nearby house before the standoff.

YaYa is in jail on a $175,000 bond, and Zee is in on a $260,000 bond. Zee is scheduled to plea to possession of fentanyl charge next week in the 104th district court.

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