MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Two and half years after setting his girlfriend on fire and threatening to do the same thing to her three-year-old niece, an Olive Branch man has been sentenced to 28 years in prison.
Jeremy Manning, 46, was sentenced on February 17, according to Memphis Police.
The police department posted pictures on their Facebook page of the six officers who were later awarded Medals of Valor for saving the little girl’s life.
When Memphis police caught up to Jeremy Manning on August 13, 2019, he was naked and had a toddler in the back seat of his car.
Manning’s crime spree began on Tacoma Place in Olive Branch after he doused his girlfriend with gasoline, set her on fire, and kidnapped the victim’s niece.
Manning drove from Olive Branch to Memphis with the child and threatened to set her on fire if police didn’t give him a cell phone.
Manning led officers on a chase from Memphis back to Olive Branch. Manning let the little girl out of his car in the 4100 block of La Paloma Lane, where officers were able to rescue her.
Manning drove through neighbors’ yards and intentionally struck two squad cars, injuring two officers. He got out of his vehicle and was taken into custody after he was found hiding behind a nearby house.
Memphis Police verified that the little girl had been kidnapping and reunited her with her family members.
Manning was turned over to Desoto County authorities as the kidnapping and arrest occurred in Mississippi.