BURIEN, Wash. — A 43-year-old Seattle man was arrested Friday night after trying to kidnap an employee at a Burien grocery store, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident happened before 5 p.m. at an Albertson's located at South 128th Street and 1st Avenue South.
According to deputies, a 21-year-old woman, who asked to be identified as Teasha, was in the parking lot of the store gathering shopping carts when the man approached her and tried to convince her to get into his van.
Deputies said the woman did not know the man.
When the woman refused, the man grabbed her arm and attempted to pull her into his vehicle.
"This guy was trying to grab me and put me in his van," said Teasha. "He said I was beautiful and wanted to know how old I was. He grabbed me a couple different times."
A witness called 911 and ran to the woman, and she was able to get away from the man. She ran into the store to hide.
Witnesses told deputies the man went into the store and appeared to be looking for the woman.
As the man was leaving the store, King County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene and took the man into custody.
According to deputies, the woman was shaken up by the incident and said the man tried to use numerous ploys to get her near his van. She said the man told her there was a cart near the van and asked her if she wanted to see the refrigerator inside of his vehicle.
"It is because we had citizens willing to act, help, and do the right thing that something very bad did not happen to this woman," said King County Sheriff Sergeant Pat McCurdy. "This is another example of why it is important for people to trust their instincts and have important conversations with their children."
The man was booked into the King County Jail and the case will be forwarded to the King County Prosecutor for filing of charges.
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