San Diego
A businessman was ordered Tuesday to stand trial for kidnaping the daughter of a family friend and holding her for ransom.
J.C. Aler, 56, is accused of kidnaping Sarah Zien, 26, on Sept. 11 and held for 28 hours until Zien escaped from her abductor in a drugstore while getting a prescription drug.
Zien told San Diego Municipal Judge Frank Brown that a man wearing a wig, fake nose and mustache, and glasses forced her into a car in downtown San Diego. Zien, the daughter of Jim Zien, a former executive with McDonald’s Corp., said the kidnaper wrote her notes instead of talking, apparently because she might recognize his voice.
The kidnaper took her to a house and chained her to a toilet. She said she spent the night in the bathtub.
Sarah Zien identified a photograph taken of Aler in disguise as the man who kidnaped her. Aler was arrested at the drugstore 28 hours after the abduction.
Aler was ordered to return to court on Nov. 6 for setting a trial date.
Aler owns a plastics firm and has been a friend of the girl’s parents for 20 years. He remains in County Jail without bail.
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