Kidnapping victim in SoCal rescued using Find My iPhone app, police say
A woman who was allegedly kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend in El Monte was released after a 21-mile freeway pursuit through Los Angeles and Orange counties that at one point slowed to a crawl.
According to the El Monte Police Department, the man showed up at the woman’s place of work in the 10300 block of Lower Azusa Road just before 6 p.m. Saturday. The two argued before the man forced the woman into her car and drove away, police said. The woman called a friend, who tracked the car via the Find My app on her iPhone and contacted law enforcement.
A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department helicopter located the car on the 5 Freeway in the area of Commerce and notified the California Highway Patrol.
The CHP attempted a traffic stop, but the man continued to drive, leading law enforcement on a chase for more than 20 miles.
“Spike strips were utilized to puncture the vehicle’s tires which caused it to become inoperable and yield” near the 405 Freeway and Westminster Avenue, police said in a statement.
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But first, multiple law enforcement vehicles slowly tailed the vehicle as it inched onward in a slow-speed pursuit, KCAL-TV News footage showed, until the car finally came to a stop.
The suspect and woman got out of the car, video showed. The man walked over to the woman and hugged her while she spoke into her phone. He then slowly walked backward toward law enforcement with raised arms and surrendered. The woman was not injured, police said.
The suspect is at a processing facility on $100,000 bail, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
El Monte police said that charges of kidnapping and felony evading would be submitted to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Police Department at (626) 580-2100.
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