MAMOU -- A man who kidnapped his girlfriend and her two minor children has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Terry Charles Freeman, 22, was convicted of three counts of aggravated battery and one count of second-degree kidnapping in June 2010 incident.

Freeman stole a truck in Ville Platte and drove to his ex-girlfriend’s home in Mamou around midnight.

Detective Marie Potter said he went inside and asked her for a glass of water. “She fixed the water and they started to argue,” she said. “He pulled out a pocket knife and threatened to kill her. She managed to get away, but outside he threatened to harm her children, a one-year-old and a seven-month- old,” Potter said at the time of the arrest.

Potter said he forced the woman back into the house and then took her and the children to the back field of the Mamou Walking Trail, where he had hidden the stolen truck and drove her to his home on Desota Street in Ville Platte. She said he continued to threaten the victim and her children. He held the knife to the victim’s throat.

The next morning, the victim’s father arrived at her home and found the door open, the water running, furniture moved around indicating there may have been a struggle and a knife on the floor.

The victim’s father drove to Freeman’s home in Ville Platte and demanded to see his daughter, whom Freeman said was sleeping in the house.

When the man returned to his truck, his daughter came running out of the house. The victim’s father demanded Freeman return her children to her. Then, he drove his daughter to Mamou where charges were filed.

The victim was cut on the neck, arm and face.

She told police Freeman threatened to bury her in the pond at the back of the walking trail.

Freeman fled and was apprehended in Houston, Texas in August.