18-year-old ‘taken’ by ex-boyfriend in parking lot is found at
home; Discrepancies in statements lead police to believe there’s
more to story
Gilroy – An 18-year-old Gilroy woman apparently kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend in the parking lot as she left work at Johnny Carino’s Monday night was found at home Tuesday afternoon, police said.
Maria Sirret denied that she was the victim of a crime and as of press time was still being questioned about her whereabouts.
“You’ve got two employees who saw something that was not right to them,” Gilroy Police Sgt. Kurt Svardal said. “Something happened.”
Sirret was walking outside the restaurant when Omar Montesinos, 22, grabbed her and threw her into his 1994 Nissan Altima about 11pm, witnesses told police.
She returned home about 3:30pm Tuesday and her mother phoned police, reporting that her daughter had been dropped off at home.
“She said she’s fine and not the victim of any crime at all,” Svardal said.
As of press time she was interviewing with police and does not appear to have any bruises or evidence of physical abuse, police said.
The discrepancy from what Sirret has told police and what witnesses saw has led police to believe there is more to the story.
As she was being driven away from the scene, the Altima left skid marks in the parking lot and was seen speeding away, police said. One witness tried following the car eastbound on Pacheco Pass, however, the individual lost track of the vehicle and the suspect was last scene near Dinosaur Point, police added. Since she is an adult, no Amber Alert was issued, police said.
Late Monday night, Sirret used her cell phone to contact her mother.
“She told her mother she’d be home in awhile,” Svardal said. “She said she was not hurt at all, but she didn’t tell her where she was. She (had) not been heard since last night.”
Police were present as the two women spoke, and Sirret then talked briefly with an officer.
According to Svardal, she told police she was fine, “but she sounded emotional.”
Cell phone records indicate she was in the South County area last night, police said, but have not yet determined where.
Employees at Johnny Carino’s declined to comment and the manager referred all questions to their corporate office. Repeated calls to the corporate office went unreturned Tuesday.
Montesinos and Sirret had dated on and off for the past four years, associates told police.
Since the relationship began when she was 14 years old, police are looking into their relationship and whether statutory rape is an issue.
“It’s a volatile relationship,” Svardal said. “I don’t know that we have anything documented that it’s physical (abuse), but … they’ve been on and off.”
Though Sirret is denying she is the victim of a crime, detectives are continuing to investigate. As of press time, Montesinos was still at large and wanted for questioning.
Police are hoping that if Sirret is the victim of domestic abuse that she will trust them to help her.
“After what two employees saw, what they did is the right thing to do. In their minds she was the victim of a crime,” Svardal said. “She probably is the victim of something and I don’t know if she’s accepting that. My personal opinion is she was kidnapped, but proving that is going to be almost impossible. Give her a day or two. She might just be scared and frustrated not accepting what’s happened.”
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Detective Dan Zen 846-0350. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may contact 846-0330.
