From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. —A judge ordered Dillon James Curtis held without bond — under Iryna’s Law (North Carolina House Bill 307), legislation enacted to keep individuals accused of violent, repeat offenses in jail — during a May 26 court appearance.

Therefore, Curtis, a 29-year-old man from Etowah, is being held without bond at the Buncombe County Detention Facility in downtown Ashville following an attack on outdoor content creator and runner Emily Sutherland at the Bent Creek Experimental Forest near Asheville on May 21.

Details of the backstory and case include:

• The incident: Sutherland was running when Curtis allegedly shoved her shoulder, swung at her, tried to grab her phone to prevent her from calling 911, and threatened to “knock her out and drag her into the woods.”

• Bystander intervention: The assault ended when two mountain bikers noticed the altercation and intervened, causing Curtis to back off.

• The charges: Following an investigation by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, Curtis was arrested and initially charged with misdemeanor assault on a female, communicating threats, false imprisonment, and interfering with emergency communication. Investigators later upgraded the charges to felony second-degree kidnapping after determining the victim was unlawfully confined against her will.