‘I think maybe I’ve seen something like this in a movie:’ Detectives still looking for Roy kidnapper

ROY, Wash. — Detectives are continuing to search for a man accused of trying to kidnap a woman in Roy on Thursday morning.

“Ultimately, this person is extremely dangerous,” Pierce County Sheriff’s Sgt. Darren Moss said on Saturday. “When somebody does something like this, the only two things that end up happening in these situations is we have a sexual assault, a homicide, or both.”

On Thursday morning around 6 a.m., a mother and her 11-year-old son were driving toward the intersection of Harts Lake Valley Road and 420th Street South in Roy.

As the mother approached the intersection, there were several sandbags and a box blocking the road, according to detectives. She got out of the car and started moving the items to the side of the road.

“When she got back to the side of the road, (the) suspect came up behind her with a burlap bag then placed it over her head, and then put her into a bear hug,” Moss said.

The woman fought back, broke free, and yelled to her son to call 911, according to Moss.

The man reportedly ran away through a field and hasn’t been seen since, according to detectives.

“(Roy is) not a high crime area to begin with, but with something like this to happen? It really gets concerning for the small population to have out there,” Sgt. Moss said. “I think maybe I’ve seen something like this in a movie? James Bond sets a trap for the bad guy or something strange like that. Or a serial killer movie? But not in real life. I’ve never seen something like this.”

Neighbors who live along Harts Lake Valley Road are spooked. KIRO 7′s Lauren Donovan spoke to one homeowner who believes the assailant was living in the woods behind her property in the weeks leading up to the attack. She claims the suspect stole her sandbags to lay his trap.

The terrifying turn of events happened right outside Jim Wilcox’s family farms. Fearing the man could strike again, Wilcox Farms has slashed trees and brush on their property the suspect used to hide in.

“It’s really got people on edge,” said Wilcox. “From what other people have told me, he may have very well targeted this woman.”

Concerned for the safety of neighbors and staff, Wilcox Farms has sent its own search parties into the woods.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, the victim was unfamiliar with her attacker but got a good look at his face.

The mother and son described the suspect as a Hispanic man in his 20s or 30s, 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a muscular build, and short hair on the sides with longer hair on top. The man was reportedly wearing camouflage clothes with black gloves at the time of the attempted kidnapping.

The man also possibly has scratches on his face and/or neck.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477).

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