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8-year-old collects messages from all 50 states

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Jenea Patterson says her alleged kidnapping by her on-and-off again boyfriend, Walter Lewis, which prompted an Amber Alert last month, was blown out of proportion.</p><p>Smoking a cigarette before Lewis&#8217; preliminary hearing on Thursday, the 16-year-old girl from the Mineral Springs housing complex said she went &#8220;willingly&#8221; despite Lewis, 21, discharging two rounds from a handgun and pistol whipping Guillermo Levine.</p><p>&#8220;Basically it was like what happened,&#8221; Patterson said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t take it that way - a kidnapping. I went willingly so I have to say that.&#8221;</p><p>Lewis&#8217; preliminary hearing before Senior District Judge Thomas Sharkey was continued due to a conflict with the Luzerne County Public Defender&#8217;s Office representing him. A conflict attorney will be assigned to defend Lewis.</p><p>State police <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/top-stories/375602/amber-alert-issued-for-missing-wilkes-barre-teenager-allegedly-taken-at-gunpoint" target="_blank">issued an Amber Alert for Patterson after she was allegedly abducted by Lewis outside her apartment late at night on July 30</a>.</p><p>The search involved multiple federal, state and local law enforcement agencies that ended with Lewis&#8217; arrest <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/375742/kidnapping-suspect-arrested-in-wilkes-barre-abducted-girl-unharmed-and-returned-to-family" target="_blank">when they were removed by security at Commonwealth Health Wilkes-Barre General Hospital</a> just before midnight on July 31.</p><p>City police allege in the criminal complaint Lewis and Patterson were in a day room on the <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/376024/court-records-amber-alert-victim-alleged-kidnapper-watched-tv-in-hospital" target="_blank">sixth floor of General Hospital watching television all day</a>.</p><p>A hospital spokesperson said surveillance recordings showed Lewis and Patterson inside the facility for <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/376344/police-to-review-hospital-surveillance-from-kidnapping" target="_blank">45 minutes before security escorted them out at 10:15 p.m.</a> Lewis was arrested by city police after he was stunned by a Taser. During a foot chase, police alleged Lewis discarded a 9mm pistol with an altered serial number.</p><p>When Patterson was allegedly abducted, Lewis pistol whipped Levine breaking his nose and discharged two rounds from a handgun, court records say.</p><p>Patterson said what happened between Lewis and Levine is &#8220;none of my business.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;I went before that,&#8221; Patterson said before Levine was allegedly struck by Lewis. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know, I don&#8217;t know what happened between them. That&#8217;s not really my business. I&#8217;m gonna talk the way I could.&#8221;</p><p>When asked if she &#8220;willingly&#8221; went with Lewis because he allegedly had a handgun, Patterson replied, &#8220;I don&#8217;t know. I decided to go that&#8217;s why.&#8221;</p><p>Patterson said she has known Lewis for three years and was dating him at the time of her alleged abduction.</p><p>Patterson said Levine is &#8220;not really my friend&#8221; and didn&#8217;t believe Levine was trying to stop Lewis from taking her away.</p><p>Prosecutors briefly met with Levine to review a surveillance recording of the alleged abduction before the proceeding was continued.</p><p>A security camera recorded the alleged abduction and Lewis firing the handgun.</p><p>Patterson said she hopes for the best for Lewis and &#8220;for him not to get a lot of (jail) time.&#8221;</p><p>Lewis remains jailed at the county correctional facility for lack of $300,000 bail and on $50,000 bail on an assault case at which he is <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/375611/wilkes-barre-kidnapping-suspect-free-on-bail-on-assault-charges" target="_blank">accused of assaulting Patterson in an alley</a> near Austin Avenue, Wilkes-Barre, on Oct. 13.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Walter Lewis accused of abducting 16 year old Jenea Patterson in July arrives at a Wilkes-Barre magistrate office Thursday morning. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_TTL081415lewis1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Walter Lewis accused of abducting 16 year old Jenea Patterson in July arrives at a Wilkes-Barre magistrate office Thursday morning. </caption0><photoCredit0>Clark Van Orden | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_TTL081415lewis2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Jenea Patterson the 16 year old from Wilkes-Barre that was abducted by Walter Lewis talks with the media before Lewis&#8217; preliminary hearing Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_TTL081415lewis2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Jenea Patterson the 16 year old from Wilkes-Barre that was abducted by Walter Lewis talks with the media before Lewis&#8217; preliminary hearing Thursday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Clark Van Orden | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Ed Lewis at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TLEdLewis</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre teen subject of Amber Alert says she went “willingly”