Man Says He Escaped Car Trunk Following Kidnapping, Beating
HEMET (CBSLA.com) — A 40-something man told Riverside County Sheriff's that he was beaten by several men at a Hemet gas station, placed in the trunk of his car and kidnapped.
The unidentified man said he managed to escape near Highway 74.
The man flagged down a sheriff's deputy in the San Jacinto mountains on eastbound Highway 74, said Riverside County Sheriff's Sgt. Wallace Clear.
The victim told authorities he was pumping gas into his 1997 Suzuki Esteem at about 5:30 a.m. when three or four men approached. He says the men started beating him and put him in his car trunk.
He said the suspects drove for a while, pulled him out of the vehicle and beat him a second time before putting him back inside the trunk.
The victim said the car stopped near Highway 74 and he was able to escape.
Sheriff's say the suspects remain at large.
The car was later recovered.
The victim was taken to an area hospital for treatment, Clear said.
The extent of the man's injuries was not disclosed.
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