85-year-old hailed as hero after foiling alleged kidnapping attempt, suspect arrested
Law enforcement officers take a suspect into custody after investigators say an 85-year-old resident helped stop an attempted kidnapping in rural Oregon. (Credit: Jackson County Sheriff’s Office)
JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. - An 85-year-old man is being hailed as a hero after confronting an armed suspect accused of trying to kidnap a caregiver in rural Oregon.
Dig deeper:
A Jackson County grand jury on May 14 indicted a 42-year-old Matthew Hokulii Aranda on 10 charges, including attempted kidnapping, assault, stalking and unlawful use of a weapon, after investigators say he posed as a utility worker and tried to abduct a 25-year-old woman from a rural Medford mobile home park.
Aranda, a transient from the Medford area, faces 10 charges, including attempted kidnapping, second-degree assault, stalking, unlawful use of a GPS tracking device, unlawful use of a weapon and menacing.
Jackson County sheriff’s deputies arrest Matthew Hokulii Aranda following an alleged attempted kidnapping at a rural Medford mobile home park. (Credit: Jackson County Sheriff’s Office)
The backstory:
Investigators said the victim was working as a caregiver at a mobile home park in the 3900 block of South Stage Road on the morning of May 8 when Aranda, allegedly posing as a utility worker, waited for hours before attacking her with a taser.
Authorities said an 85-year-old resident heard the woman screaming and confronted the suspect, giving her time to escape to her vehicle.
According to investigators, Aranda then tased the resident and chased the victim with a large hunting knife.
The woman managed to get inside her car as Aranda jumped onto the hood before falling off when she drove away, injuring himself.
Deputies later found Aranda hiding injured in a nearby bush and arrested him without incident.
What's next:
The investigation remains ongoing.
The Source: The information in this story comes from a news release issued by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office following a May 14 grand jury indictment in Jackson County, Oregon. This story was reported from Los Angeles.