Woman Walking on Street Is Kidnaped

A Newhall woman was forced into a car and kidnaped, apparently by a man who was romantically interested in her, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported Tuesday.

Marixa Sandoval Mendez, 20, was kidnaped about 6:30 p.m. Monday by Nery Oswaldo Lopez, 26, of Newhall, who pulled alongside her as she walked on Arch Street toward 6th Street in Newhall, Deputy Dean Scoville said.

Mendez’s mother, who was walking about 150 feet behind the young woman, told deputies the man abducted her daughter in a maroon 1980 Honda, Scoville said.

Scoville said Mendez, a Guatemalan, has lived in the United States for less than a month. He said Lopez told her brother he was attracted to her, but family members told deputies the two had no relationship.

Deputies described Lopez as 5 feet, 4 inches tall and 165 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Mendez was described as 5 feet, 4 inches tall and 110 pounds, with reddish-brown hair and brown eyes.