Nathaniel Kibby arrested over the kidnap of Abigail Hernandez who went missing in NH nine months ago

A MAN has finally been arrested and charged with kidnapping 15-year-old Abigail “Abby” Heandez more than nine months after she left Kennett High School in Conway, New Hampshire and disappeared.

But no one still knows what happened to her.

Nathaniel Kibby, 34, was arrested without incident at his Gorham home, about 30 miles north of where the girl lives, and was charged with felony kidnapping, authorities said.

Police allege Kibby knowingly confined Abby, then 14, on October 9, sometime after she left school to walk to her home in North Conway.

Abby retued home the night of July 20, but authorities have not explained the circumstances of her retu.

Attoey General Joseph Foster said on Monday law enforcement officials have worked around the clock to determine the facts surrounding the girl’s disappearance and retu.

Police had questioned Abigail consistently since her retu but could not share extensive details about what may have happened to Abigail during her disappearance due to the ongoing investigation.

Abigail retued home wearing what investigators believe are the same clothes she was wearing on the day she disappeared.

Wanted poster ... Abigail Heandez, then 14, went missing after leaving school in October last year. Picture: Facebook Source: Twitter

He said Abby provided the police with details of her kidnapping that led to Kibby’s arrest.

Kibby is scheduled for arraignment on Tuesday at Conway District Court.

It was not immediately known if Kibby has a lawyer. Foster said he will have a press briefing after the arraignment.

Senior Assistant Attoey General Jane Young, who heads the criminal bureau, would not comment on what Kibby does for a living or supply other details about his background. She said details would come out in court on Tuesday.

A phone number associated with Kibby was not in service.

In an interview earlier on NBC’s “Today,” Abby’s mother, Zenya Heandez, said that when her daughter retued home, she was thin and pale and had “a look in her eyes I’ve never, ever seen before. And that’s something that’s haunting me, and I think will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

Abby also issued a statement, which was posted on Facebook, thanking people who searched for her and saying she believes their hopes and prayers “played a major role in my release.”

Zenya Heandez said she believes Abby did not run away and didn’t know the man believed to have driven off with her.

Police released a sketch of him last week based on Abby’s description.

The mother also said that rumours that her daughter was pregnant aren’t true.

“The majority of people somehow believe that she was pregnant,’’ Zenya told NBC. “She was not. She did not run away. I firmly believe that. As for her knowing the individual, I firmly believe that she did not know the individual.”

Young said that when the girl disappeared, she apparently had no way to get about or secure food, shelter or other necessities on her own.

She said that Abby “went dark” and could not be traced through social media for the duration of her absence.

Several in Kibby’s neighbourhood said they weren’t well acquainted with him.

“He seemed to be nice, down to earth. He was very polite,” said Roger Lawrence, 66, who lives in the same mobile home park as Kibby.

Lawrence said he met him last summer while Kibby was walking his dog. He said they exchanged pleasantries. He said he didn’t see Kibby all winter, but saw him on Saturday, walking past his home to get his mail.

Lawrence said he was shocked to hear of the arrest.

Abigail Heandez ... Safely home after being missing for 14 months. Picture: Twitter Source: Facebook

“No words can explain it. I was ready to wring his neck,” he said. “I was wondering what happened to that little girl myself, seeing it on the news, thinking ‘Where could she have gone?’”

Another neighbour, Raylene Beaulieu said she had not seen Kibby during the time the teenager was missing and had not seen him much before then.

“He pretty much kept to himself,” she said.

She was surprised to hear of his arrest.

“I can see his trailer from mine, and I had no idea,” she said.

Donald St. Germain, who lives three trailers down from Kibby’s home, said he doesn’t know Kibby.

“The only time I saw him was this spring when he had to fix the roof on his trailer,” the 76-year-old St. Germain said.

Around noon on Monday, St. Germain noticed police in the mobile home park and he was later interviewed by FBI agents, he said.

Police still had both ends of Kibby’s street blocked off hours after the arrest.