Charges filed against suspect in kidnapping at Powell Street BART station
SAN FRANCISCO – The man accused of kidnapping a teenage girl at the Powell Street BART station in San Francisco earlier this week has been charged and is expected to appear in court Friday, prosecutors said.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins' office announced that 37-year-old Jamall Blue is facing one count of kidnapping by force or fear and one count of sexual battery in connection with the incident Tuesday evening.
"There is absolutely zero tolerance for these acts in the City and County of San Francisco," Jenkins said in a statement Friday. "Our most vulnerable must be protected, and when they are targeted and preyed upon, the perpetrators will be held accountable."
According to BART police, officers received a call around 8 p.m. of a man who removed a girl from the station by force and placed her into a vehicle. Police said surveillance cameras were able to capture the incident.
Following the incident, the teen's parents filed a missing person's report.
Around 3 a.m. Wednesday, San Francisco police located Blue and a suspect vehicle. BART police then took Blue into custody. The teen was also found early Wednesday.
"This is totally out of the ordinary for BART. Incidents like this are extremely rare, and something we take seriously and respond to with our full resources," BART Police Chief Kevin Franklin told CBS News Bay Area.
Franklin said Wednesday that the incident did not appear to be random and that the suspect and victim "likely knew each other."
Blue is scheduled to be arraigned Friday afternoon. Prosecutors said they have moved to have him detained ahead of trial, citing a risk to public safety.
