Police are struggling to make progress in a reported kidnapping that took place last week on Whisman Road. Despite two eyewitness accounts and a Bay Area-wide dragnet, the suspect, victim and vehicle in the case are still unidentified.
Dispatchers received a call from inside a local business Tuesday afternoon that a woman — described as a black teenager of average build with her hair in a ponytail — had tried and failed to exit a parked car while being assaulted by the driver. The suspect is described as a white man in his 20s, about 6 feet tall and of medium build. He had blond, spiky hair, a clean-shaven face and a blue hooded sweatshirt.
Witnesses said the couple was in a white four-door vehicle, mid-size or smaller, with California plates. Police have tried every potential variation of the license plate and checked with other agencies for missing persons and come up empty-handed.
“Until we get or if we get additional information, there’s not a lot that can be done,” said police spokesperson Jim Bennett. “We’re still concerned for the female who’s involved in this. There were clear indications … that she was in distress and she was calling out for help.”
A rash of similar crimes have vexed police officers in recent weeks as they have struggled to identify suspects or find vehicles, often despite the presence of witnesses. A sexual assault and robbery near Phyllis Avenue and Pamela Drive in late March remains unsolved, and police are still looking for a passerby who witnessed the incident.
Officers are also still investigating a 13-year-old student’s story of attempted kidnapping on her way home from school in early February. Even a reported carjacking incident late this past Saturday night has so far given up no leads.
“All of the incidents are clearly unusual for Mountain View,” said Bennett, who added that they were “a reminder that crime can and does happen anywhere.”
E-mail Jon Wiener at jwiener@mv-voice.com
