2 Assailants Kidnap Man From His Auto Detail Shop

A 32-year-old man, who was forced out of his business at gunpoint and whisked away in a van by two assailants Wednesday, later showed up at a police station unharmed and did not want to talk about the incident, according to authorities.

The name of the victim was not being released, said Det. Rick Jamieson of the Los Angeles Police Department’s North Hollywood Division.

The incident occurred about 9 a.m. at PC Auto Detail in the 4900 block of Lankershim Boulevard.

Two assailants, armed with .45-caliber handguns, took the victim hostage, forcing him into a customized white van they were driving, police said. No shots were fired.

Police initiated an investigation, but the victim showed up at the North Hollywood station about 3:30 p.m. The man told detectives he did not know his assailants but little else, according to investigators. “He will not tell us the whole truth,” Jamieson said.

He did tell investigators that the gunmen at one point had wanted to force him to withdraw money from an automated teller machine, but never carried through with the threat, police said.

Also, nothing was taken from the victim’s business, and parts of the victim’s account did not match the version of events told by witnesses, Jamieson said.

Because the victim was not hurt and did not seem interested in pursuing prosecution of the assailants, police will close the case with no further action, Jamieson said.