Abducted juvenile from Tennessee found in NC home, arrest made

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — On the afternoon of Wednesday, October 28, the Asheville Police Department received a request for assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to assist with their attempts to locate a 12-year-old juvenile that had been abducted from Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

After coordinating with investigators from the Oak Ridge Police Department and the FBI Asheville and Knoxville field offices, the child and her abductor were located at a home in West Asheville.

Asheville authorities took Matthew Paul Bajaj, 42, of Asheville into custody without incident, and has since been turned over to agents with the FBI as they continue their efforts in the case.

The victim was found to be uninjured and was reunited with their parents.

This incident remains under investigation by the FBI, and the Asheville Police Department stands ready to assist them however necessary.