Police seek kidnapper caught on video snatching woman in Sylmar
Los Angeles police have launched a search for a man who is suspected of kidnapping a woman Wednesday afternoon in Sylmar by forcing her into a minivan.
The incident was caught on camera and police are asking the public to help identify the man and locate the victim.
It occurred about 12:30 p.m. in the 15000 block of El Cajon Street in Sylmar. In the video, a heavyset man is seen talking with a woman, and she tries to walk away but the man follows her.
The man then opens a passenger door of a nearby minivan — a light blue Chrysler — before snatching the woman by the hair and tossing her inside.
The woman is seen trying to escape from the van, but he presses her back inside, closes the door, and jumps into the driver’s seat. The van drives off.
The woman is described as a 25- to 35-year-old Latina with black hair. The man is about 250 pounds and believed to be 30 to 35 years old. In the video, he is wearing a baseball cap.
Police suspect the man and woman know each other, but it’s unclear what may have motivated the kidnapping.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the LAPD’s Mission Division station at (818) 838-9800.
Twitter: @MattHjourno
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