
Instagram/ @Coreyssgquotes
A Houston-based social media influencer, who was arrested on kidnapping charges last week after initially fleeing the country, has been released from jail on a $200,000 bond, according to court documents.
A warrant for Corey Pritchett Jr.’s arrest in Harris County was issued following a Nov. 22 incident in which he allegedly drove two women — who told police they feared for their lives — to a remote area west of Houston while brandishing a firearm and forced them out of his vehicle. Pritchett was arrested and charged last week on two counts of aggravated kidnapping.
In posts to TikTok and Instagram around the same time the arrest warrant was issued in late December, Pritchett said he was leaving the country to start a new life in Dubai. Authorities with the FBI confirmed that Pritchett flew to Doha Airport in Qatar with a one-way ticket, according to court documents.
Pritchett later returned to the Houston area and was booked into the county jail Jan. 17.
During a court appearance Thursday, a judge denied Pritchett’s request for a lower bond. An attorney representing Pritchett said during the appearance that he voluntarily traveled back to the U.S. to face criminal charges after traveling to Dubai, KHOU reported.
Under his bond conditions, Pritchett must wear a GPS monitor and is required to surrender any travel documents in his possession, including passports and visas. He is prohibited from possessing firearms, consuming alcohol and drugs and interacting with the two women allegedly kidnapped by Pritchett.
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An appointed defense attorney listed for Pritchett could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.
The women told police they met Pritchett at a gym in southwest Houston hours before he offered to give them a ride home, court documents show. During the drive that evening, they said they noticed a change in Pritchett’s behavior. He allegedly began driving in the opposite direction of the home, eventually speeding up to 100 miles per hour on Interstate 10, according to court records.
Pritchett allegedly pointed a gun at one woman when she began texting on her cell phone and insinuated in a phone call during the drive that he had the “perfect opportunity” to drive the women to a remote area where no one could hear or find them, according to court documents.
After passing a restaurant in Sealy, he pulled over the vehicle and allegedly told the women to step out, warning it would be their last opportunity, court records show.
Pritchett will next appear in court on April 9, according to court documents.