A young woman who was forced into a vehicle near Riverside Municipal Airport, prompting concerns she was the victim of a kidnapping, was confirmed to be safe Monday, and police determined no crime had occurred.
At about 7:30 p.m. Sunday, a resident of the 6500 block of Doolittle Drive reported seeing a "Hispanic female juvenile" wearing a bikini physically being deposited into the back seat of a Nissan sedan by two men, Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback said.
The witness stated that it appeared the individuals initially tried to push the female into the trunk of the car. Security surveillance video was obtained by police that seemed to corroborate the account, and detectives began searching for the sedan.
But Railsback said investigators found the woman, identified only as a Placentia resident, and determined she was safe and was not the victim of a kidnapping.
"The young woman involved had come to Riverside with her boyfriend and his family to go swimming with some friends in the Santa Ana River,'' Railsback said. "While there, the young woman became intoxicated. During the drive home, they stopped the car for her to retrieve an item from the vehicle's trunk. It was at this time she became belligerent and attempted to climb into the trunk."
According to the police spokesman, the two men intervened and made certain she got back into her original seat for the trip home.
Despite the false alarm, Railsback said the police department was "grateful" to the witness for keeping an eye out and reporting the suspicious incident, which all residents should do anytime they believe a crime may have occurred.
