Photo: Pierce County Sheriff's Department
Authorities in Western Washington are searching for a suspect accused of attempting to kidnap a mother last week.
The victim, who had her 11-year-old son with her at the time, was driving on 420th Street South in Roy around 6 a.m. Thursday (March 30), according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department. Deputies said the suspect placed sandbags and a box in the roadway near Harts Valley Road.
When the woman approached the items blocking her way, she got out of her vehicle to remove them. That's when the suspect put a burlap bag over her head and bear-hugged her, authorities said. She was able to fight off the kidnapper, rush home and call 911.
Detectives said the suspect bolted through a field and hasn't been seen since.
“Ultimately, this person is extremely dangerous,” Pierce County Sheriff’s Sgt. Darren Moss told KIRO 7 on Saturday, April 1. “When somebody does something like this, the only two things that end up happening in these situations is we have a sexual assault, a homicide, or both.”
Moss also described this terrifying incident as something out of a movie.
“(Roy is) not a high crime area to begin with, but with something like this to happen? It really gets concerning for the small population to have out there,” he said. “I think maybe I’ve seen something like this in a movie? ... Or a serial killer movie? But not in real life. I’ve never seen something like this.”
The sheriff's department described the suspect as a Hispanic man in his 20s or 30s standing at five feet and seven inches. Officials said he has a muscular build and may have scratches on his neck.
Crime Stoppers also released a sketch of the suspect and offered a $1,000 reward for any information leading to his arrest. Anyone with information about the case is urged to call 1-800-222-TIPS.