Possible Kidnapping Victim Found After Incident Outside Riverside Starbucks
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) — Police say they are in contact with a person they believe to be a victim in a possible kidnapping in Riverside Wednesday night.
Witnesses saw a man trying to get out of a van outside a Riverside Starbucks violently forced back in, and police were working Thursday to determine whether the disturbing scene was in fact a kidnapping.
Several witnesses called 911 at about 8 p.m. Wednesday to report what they believed was a kidnapping at a Starbucks at Arlington Drive and Brockton Avenue in Riverside, right off the 91 Freeway. When police arrived, they found blood on the ground and evidence of a struggle – but no van and no men.
According to police, witnesses reported seeing a man jump out of the van after it pulled into the lot. Two men jumped out after him, and after a struggle, forced him back in and the van took off again.
Riverside police have no missing persons reports that match the man's descriptions, but the coffee shop's location right off the freeway makes it possible that the van came from outside of the area. Police say they are working with outside agencies to identify the van and the men.
The investigation is ongoing.