Roseville kidnapping case: Target dress, tampered camera leads to arrest, charges
Roseville kidnapping case: Target dress, tampered camera leads to arrest, charges
A tiny Target dress, surveillance video and relentless detective work cracked a kidnapping and rape case in Roseville. FOX 9's Corin Hoggard has the story.
ROSEVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A tiny Target dress, surveillance video and relentless detective work cracked a kidnapping and rape case in Roseville.
A woman was kidnapped at gunpoint while leaving work, held captive for eight hours and sexually assaulted — and the clue that broke the case was the dress her attacker made her wear.
A crime that shook Roseville
What we know:
A woman was leaving work on a Wednesday evening when a masked, armed suspect forced her into the woods near her work and tied her up.
"The suspect blindfolded her, covered her mouth, and then forced her into a vehicle. She was held captive for the next eight hours," said Roseville Police Chief Erika Scheider.
According to police, the suspect had her tied up when he dumped her car somewhere else before returning in his own SUV. He brought her to what appeared to be a warehouse, where he sexually assaulted her, then made her shower and put on a brand new dress. He threatened her life more than once before eventually dropping her off near Phalen golf course in St. Paul. Bystanders alerted police after she walked to a nearby Holiday gas station.
How detectives closed in
The backstory:
A camera at the woman's workplace had been tampered with, but investigators caught a critical break when the victim identified the dress the suspect had made her wear. It came from Target, and the company provided surveillance video showing a man walking out of the Blaine store after buying it, according to police.
The victim's co-workers identified the man in the video as a cleaner named Pao who worked at the business some nights. Detectives then found license plate reader data showing Pao Yang's SUV driving toward his home early Thursday morning, and phone records placed him in the area of the kidnapping and rape, police said. A search of his Isanti home later turned up zip ties, a mask and firearms.
"They checked businesses, residences, and just about any camera that we could find," said Scheider.
The arrest and what comes next
What they're saying:
Scheider reflected on just how unusual and alarming this type of crime is.
"In my 29 years, you just don't see many cases like this, where somebody is just presumably going about their day and suddenly they're a victim of just a horrendous crime, and so it is really rare, it's really disturbing," said Scheider.
Police also noted the suspect specifically targeted a stranger leaving work during daylight hours in a busy part of town, according to Scheider.
What's next:
Yang was arrested Friday and made his first court appearance facing six felony charges. He could face dozens of years in prison if convicted. His bail was set at $2.5 million.
What we don't know:
Investigators are also looking into whether Yang committed additional crimes at the other four businesses where he worked as a cleaner.
The Source: The Source: FOX 9's Corin Hoggard reporting live from Roseville; Roseville Police Chief Erika Scheider