A Canyon Country man was arrested on Monday, February 7th, after it was discovered that he was a sought-after suspect in a kidnapping that occurred in August of last year. The August incident is reported to have happened off of Lost Canyon Road and included a man trying to stuff a female pedestrian into his trunk. A bystander saw the attempted kidnapping happen and called the police. The victim was taken to Henry Mayo for medical care, but the suspect had escaped.
After a months-long investigation, the suspect is now in custody. He is a 29-year-old maintenance worker from Canyon Country. He was taken to the SCV Sheriff Station where he went through booking and processing and is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Simple Kidnapping is covered under California Penal Code 207 PC and is described as moving another person a substantial distance, without the victim’s consent, by means of force or fear. Kidnapping is a felony that can be punishable by 3, 5, or 8 years in California state prison and/or a maximum fine of $10,000. It is also considered a “strike” under California’s “Three Strikes Law.”
When someone is charged with any felony after having a “strike” on their record, they will be considered a “Second Striker” and will face a sentence that is twice the term of the original one. If a defendant already has two strikes and receives a third, they will be forced to serve a mandatory 25 years to life.
Since the kidnapping wasn’t able to succeed, it’s likely to be considered an attempted crime in court. California Penal Code 664 PC covers attempted crimes and describes them as attempting to break the law but, for whatever reason, failing to complete the act. Typically, attempted crimes are punished at one-half the sentence were the crime to have actually been committed. In this case, the suspect may be facing 1.5, 2.5, or 4 years in California state prison if convicted.