Gas station customer alerts police of kidnapping incident
MORGAN HILL
An East Palo Alto man was booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of kidnapping and domestic battery after he refused to let his girlfriend out of his car.
Joaquin Flores, 19, drove for about two miles with the woman before stopping for gas at the Chevron station on Cochrane Road Tuesday night, according to police.
The incident began at 10:51 p.m., when Flores showed up at his girlfriend’s apartment on Crest Avenue and convinced her to get in his car, police said. The couple had been dating for four months, said Morgan Hill police Cmdr. David Swing.
Flores wanted to take his girlfriend to Palo Alto, but she declined because she couldn’t leave her young children alone, police said. However, he drove out of the parking lot, while she pleaded with Flores to stop, Swing said, but he refused, telling her he was taking her to Palo Alto. She was scared because she did not know what Flores’ intentions were, Swing added.
When he pulled into the Chevron station and got out of the car, the victim locked herself in the car. Flores then began kicking the windows of the car, which attracted the attention of a woman who was getting gas at a nearby pump. She called police who arrived and arrested Flores.
