Man Tries To Kidnap Woman Outside Marin County Civic Center
SAN RAFAEL (CBS SF) -- A man tried to kidnap a woman outside of the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael early Tuesday morning but she was able to fend him off and he fled in a van, police said.
The attempted kidnapping was reported at 12:57 a.m. after the woman left work on Civic Center Drive and walked toward a bus stop, but realized as she neared it that she had missed the last bus.
As she was walking back to her workplace on the west side of the road, a dark-colored minivan with tinted windows pulled up behind her and a man got out and grabbed her from behind, trying to pull her toward its open sliding door, according to police.
The woman fought back and struck the suspect with her umbrella, causing him to let go of her and flee in the van, which was last seen heading south on Civic Center Drive. The victim ran from the area and called 911, police said.
Authorities responded but did not locate the van. The woman described the suspect as a Hispanic man between 20 and 30 years old who was about 5 feet 8 inches tall with a muscular build and smelled of alcohol and body odor, according to police.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call San Rafael police at (415) 485-3000. People can also leave information anonymously online at www.srpd.org/tips.