Second arrest in disappearance of UFC fighter’s stepdaughter
AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn police have arrested a second man in the disappearance of a UFC heavyweight fighter’s stepdaughter.
Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes told The Associated Press by email Saturday that 35-year-old Antwain Shamar Fisher of Montgomery has been charged with first-degree kidnapping in the disappearance last month of 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard.
Fisher was arrested Friday and booked Saturday into the Lee County Jail, Hughes told the Opelika-Auburn News and WRBL-TV.
Blanchard, whose stepfather is UFC participant Walt Harris of metro Birmingham, was last seen Oct. 23 at a convenience store in Auburn.
Her black Honda CRV was found abandoned more than 50 miles (90 kilometers) away at an apartment complex in Montgomery, Alabama. Auburn police Detective Josh Mixon said Blanchard’s blood was found in the car, and it appeared she had suffered a life-threatening injury.
Mixon testified that convenience store video footage showed a man buying a beverage look over at Blanchard. He said tipsters later identified the man as Ibraheem Yazeed, 29, and a man at the store told investigators he saw Yazeed force Blanchard into her car and drive away.
Prosecutors told a Lee County judge that a male’s DNA was found in Blanchard’s car, and the judge ordered Yazeed on Wednesday to submit a DNA sample.
Lee County District Judge Russell Bush denied bond for Yazeed, who also is charged with kidnapping.
Bush said the case against Yazeed can proceed to a grand jury.