OSHKOSH, Neb. -- On February 28, 2025, a Garden County Sheriff’s Deputy was notified of 911 calls from what Dispatch reported hearing a man, a woman and a child in the calls. 

Their last known location was Highway 26 by Road 205 located in Garden County. The vehicle was located on Highway 26 and Mile Marker 105 on the overpass just west of Oshkosh. 

The responding deputy witnessed a woman and two children exit the vehicle. The driver was identified as Carl Thomas. 

Two women and one male child were transported to the Garden County Sheriff’s Office and interviewed with an interpreter. 

He was arrested on five counts of Kidnapping, one count of Second Degree Assault, five counts of False Imprisonment, three counts of Child Abuse, one count of Willful Reckless Driving and one count of Failure to Use a Child Restraint System or Allow Child in Front Seat and transported to Cheyenne County Jail.

All charges except a misdemeanor and traffic infraction were dropped. Garden County Attorney Krista Shaul told the court of an oral plea agreement in which those charges were dismissed without prejudice. 

Without Prejudice means a case is dismissed but can be refiled, unlike a "with prejudice" dismissal which ends it permanently.  Essentially, it preserves a party's legal rights while discussing  resolution, or allows a plaintiff to fix issues and try again, depending on the context. 

Thomas then plead no contest to amended charges of 1st offense willful reckless driving, a 90-day jail sentence with 90 days credit for time served, and failure to use a child restraint, a $100 fine.