Neighbors say Oakland kidnapping suspect had numerous run-ins with police
Neighbors say suspect in Oakland kidnapping had numerous run-ins with police
Authorities have released very few details on the alleged kidnapping suspect who held a woman captive for days after the two met on a dating app. However, neighbors said the man has had numerous run-ins with the law in the past.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland police on Thursday were still not saying much about an alleged kidnap and sexual assault in the Maxwell Park neighborhood this week where a woman was allegedly held captive by a man for three days after she met him on a dating app.
But neighbors told KTVU that the alleged kidnapper had numerous run-ins with the law in the past. Police scanner traffic from the day the woman escaped captivity on Monday afternoon reveal that authorities were talking about the suspect's prior firearms arrest. No further details were released on what the man's criminal history might be.
The saga has only been revealed from a Good Samaritan's perspective who detailed what happened Monday afternoon in a NextDoor post. He wrote that he heard the woman scream for help and describe her captivity and escape. The good Samaritan has since declined to be interviewed.
Oakland police have confirmed they took a man into custody on suspicion of kidnapping and sexual assault related to this case. But police have refused to name the suspect saying he has not been charged.
Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong himself knows about the case. He posted a message to the good Samaritan, thanking him for his courage and for helping the woman flee a dangerous situation.
A check with the District Attorney on Thursday revealed that the alleged abductor had not yet been charged.
MORE: Dating app nightmare: Woman allegedly held captive for days in Oakland
The situation has left many unanswered questions in a dramatic and unusual situation that has left residents and beyond bewildered and afraid.
Fee Sloan told KTVU that she saw Oakland police cruisers and even an armed Bearcat, descending on her neighbor's house on Walnut Street Monday afternoon.
"It was kind of hard for me to get by," she said. "It was kind of like nerve-racking because I didn’t know what was really going on."
The woman was somehow able to run away from her alleged abductor's home, and then she ran up Walnut toward Fleming Avenue, where she eventually received help from the good Samaritan, he wrote on NextDoor.
The good Samaritan wrote that he went outside while his wife and sister called police on Monday about 3 p.m. The woman begged him for help and said she was held captive by a man for three days. No other details have yet become public.
As he was hearing her harrowing tale, the good Samaritan wrote that the alleged abductor pulled up in a car.
He wrote that he remained between the suspect and the woman, saying she was "shaking, crying and almost incoherent," until the man drove away and police arrived.
Eventually the suspect was arrested, but details about what happened are unclear.
The neighbor wrote in his post that what disappointed him most about the situation was the woman ran two blocks, past people, who refused to offer any help.
But Sloan said she didn't hear any cries for help at the time.
Other neighbors have started to learn about the woman's story and are scared, especially because they haven't been told a lot of information about what happened.
"I’m really sorry for the young lady that this the situation happened to her," said neighbor Diamond Cross. "I’m really happy that she was able to get away."
But she added: "I would like to know who that person is just so I can be safe."