Man tries to kidnap teen by shoving her into a suitcase at Target, Washington cops say
A man tried to kidnap a 16-year-old girl by pushing her into a suitcase at a Target in Washington, officials said.
Francis Azzarella II, 29, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree kidnapping with sexual motivation.
The teen was shopping with a friend after 8:30 p.m. Saturday in the electronics department of a Vancouver Target when a man appeared with a suitcase, according to a probable cause statement.
Azzarella put the suitcase on the ground and tried to shove the teen into it, the statement shows.
The teen said Azzarella pushed on her back and “had his arm around her waist,” according to statements she made to police.
A witness intervened and walked Azzarella away from the teen.
His bail is set at $125,000.
Azzarella will be arraigned Oct. 15 at the Clark County Superior Court in Vancouver.
Vancouver is about 9 miles north of Portland.
This story was originally published October 5, 2021 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Man tries to kidnap teen by shoving her into a suitcase at Target, Washington cops say."
