Local News in Brief : Man Held in Burbank Kidnaping Attempt

A man posing as a police officer forced two women off the Golden State Freeway in Burbank, then tried to abduct one of them before the real police, alerted by a suspicious motorist, arrested him, police said Monday.

Burbank police said David Sanchez Calderon, 25, of Glassell Park was arrested on suspicion of attempted kidnaping after the 4 a.m. Sunday incident. He was being held at the Burbank jail in lieu of $6,178 bail. The two women, Belia Cervantez, 32, and Raquel Moran, 26, both of Sepulveda, were frightened but not injured, police said.

Lt. Art Moody said the women were driving southbound on the freeway when a car began following closely. Calderon started blinking the car’s lights, then pulled next to the women, yelled that he was a police officer and told them to pull over, Moody said.

“They didn’t believe he was a police officer and didn’t stop,” Moody said.

Instead, the women left the freeway at Verdugo Avenue. Calderon followed and cut in front of their car, forcing it to a stop on Front Street, where Calderon and both women got out of their vehicles, Moody said.

“He told them he was a police officer and that they might be driving a stolen car,” Moody said.

Police said Calderon then grabbed Cervantez and attempted to pull her to his car. But a motorist whose identity police did not disclose stopped to see what was happening. Police said Calderon told the man he was a police officer and to move on. The motorist left, but alerted two officers in a patrol car at a nearby intersection.

Arriving at Front Street, the officers saw Calderon driving away alone after Cervantez had apparently broken free. Police stopped his car and arrested him. Police said they found a knife in the car and that Calderon denied he claimed he was a policeman.