A young woman escaped a harrowing situation in the early morning hours of April 3 after she was held captive in a speeding car by an inebriated Tamaqua man.

Derek Michael Deangelo, 19, faces charges of unlawful restraint/ serious bodily injury; two counts of simple assault; recklessly endangering another person; driving under the influence/unsafe driving; simple assault; harassment; and kidnapping to inflict injury or terror.

DeAngelo posted the $100,000 cash bail ordered by District Judge Andrew J. Serina in Orwigsburg through an Allentown bail bondsman.

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Schuylkill Haven State Trooper Nathaniel C. Edmonds, the situation began with a report of a possible abduction in West Brunswick Township at 3:22 a.m. April 3.

The person who called 911 said DeAngelo had forced a young woman into his car and sped toward Tamaqua.

Ten minutes later, West Penn Township police alerted the Communications Center that they had the car stopped in the parking lot of Leiby’s Restaurant, at routes 309 and 443, and that the woman was safe.

State troopers spoke with the victim, who said she was at her friend’s house in West Brunswick Township when DeAngelo showed up at about 3 a.m.

He began “causing issues” and set off fireworks, she said.

The woman told the troopers she didn’t want to cause problems at her friend’s house, so she agreed to get into DeAngelo’s car and go elsewhere.

She believed she had “no other option,” she said.

After she got into the car, DeAngelo, who had been drinking, began driving recklessly, speeding over 100 mph, and disregarding traffic signals.

The woman said she asked DeAngelo several times to stop and let her out, but he refused.

She said she feared for her life, but could not get out with DeAngelo driving at high speeds.

The woman said she finally was able to get out of the car when DeAngelo pulled into the parking lot of a bank adjacent to the restaurant.

She said DeAngelo asked her several times to turn off her phone and location.

Once he had stopped, she opened the door and took off running. DeAngelo tackled her, pried the phone out of her hands and grabbed her hair, she told police.

She escaped, running back to the car and getting into the driver’s seat.

DeAngelo wrestled her into the back seat and locked the doors.

West Penn police stopped the car as he was pulling out to head east on Route 443.

Trooper Edmonds noted the victim’s fingernails were damaged, and that she was barefoot.

He spoke with DeAngelo, noting that his eyes were bloodshot and his speech slurred. DeAngelo failed a field sobriety test, but refused a chemical test.