A woman was kidnapped in central Vancouver and managed to escape by jumping out of a moving vehicle in the Camas area in the early hours of Saturday morning, according to a statement from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. A suspect has been taken into custody.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies responded about 4:30 a.m. to the 24000 block of Northeast 28th Street near Camas for a trespassing report. The caller said a woman was banging on the door saying that she had jumped from a moving vehicle after being kidnapped in Vancouver. Deputies found a woman in the front yard of the home, clearly in distress.
The woman told deputies she had been near the intersection of Mill Plain and Grand boulevards in central Vancouver when a man approached her vehicle and asked for water. She gave the man some water and then she let him into her vehicle.
Once in the vehicle, according to the woman, the man pulled a knife and threatened her. He took control of the vehicle and then drove, with the woman in the car, to the area of Northeast 28th Street and 233rd Avenue, north of Lacamas Lake, near Camas.
The woman said that as the vehicle slowed down along a dirt road, she jumped out and ran, before knocking on doors at homes in the area asking for help.
After contacting the woman, according to the sheriff’s office, deputies searched the area and found the vehicle, which is registered to the woman. The driver eluded deputies but matched the description of the suspect that the woman offered.
Deputies began pursuit of the suspect about 5:15 a.m. near Northeast 28th Street and 222nd Avenue, and with the help of Vancouver police, pinned the vehicle about 5:25 a.m. near Northeast Second Street and 115th Avenue in east Vancouver.
“The driver was eventually taken into custody after several attempts to free the vehicle failed,” according to the statement.
The suspect refused to identify himself and was booked as a John Doe into the Clark County Jail on Saturday. The suspect is facing charges of first-degree robbery, first-degree kidnapping, attempt to elude and reckless driving.
As of Monday morning, the suspect had still refused to identify himself; officials are waiting on results of identification efforts, according to the sheriff’s office. Due to the nature of the case, the victim’s identity will not be released.
