Walnut Creek Police are are also hoping to stop the frightening crime from being carried out on yet more victims.
A man is kidnapping Bay Area women and then raiding their bank accounts.
In the first incident, on July 31st, a woman was abducted from her garage at an apartment complex in San Leandro. The latest attack involves an 80-year-old Walnut Creek woman.
The shocking part of these crimes is that they occurred in broad daylight. The first attack happened in San Leandro, the second kidnapping happened Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in downtown Walnut Creek on the top level of the Century Park Theatres parking lot. The suspect in both cases is still at large.
"It's horrific," said Terry Huston, a Concord resident.
"It's scary, that's sick," said another woman.
Two connected and violent kidnappings in seemingly safe areas of San Leandro and Walnut Creek left many feeling uneasy. A sketch of the suspect wanted in both the abductions and robberies was released by police on Friday.
On the morning of July 31st, a 45-year-old woman in her gate-guarded garage in San Leandro was forced into the suspect's car and a hood was tied over her head.
"While in the car the main suspect in the composite drawing hit her multiple times, threatened to kill her all along the route as he drove out to Pittsburg if she didn't do what she was supposed to do. In addition, while the suspect was in the bank, he was hitting the lady in the head as he became inpatient, saying if the guy doesn't come out of the bank with money, he was going to kill her," said Detective Tai Nguyen, with the San Leandro Police Department.
Police say he recruited this accomplice, Tolsha Perkins, to join him. Perkins opened an account at a Bank of America in Pittsburg and cashed the victims' $1,500 check. She was then released along Highway 4. Perkins was arrested later that night.
Then on Thursday, at 2:30 p.m. on the top floor of a movie theatre parking complex in Walnut Creek, an 80-year-old woman was attacked.
"She was approached by two black males who proceeded to knock her down. They forced her into the back seat of her own car," said Lt. Tim Schultz of the Walnut Creek Police Department.
They dropped her off in rural Martinez.
"They then proceeded to the same Bank of America parking lot as previously referenced in the San Leandro case where they tried to access her ATM, they were unsuccessful so they drove to a Wells Fargo down the road, where they were successful in accessing her ATM account," said Lt. Schultz.
A camera captured an image of the suspect, who police believe is the same man in the composite sketch-- he is still at large and police are asking for the public's help in identifying him.
"Nothing really happens around here and then an 80-year-old woman!" Rashida Mungin, a Walnut Creek resident.
"That's even more alarming, defenseless," said Huston.
"Are you're parked up there right now?" asked ABC7's Leslie Brinkley.
"Yes, I'm parked up there right now, yeah," said Huston.
The suspect in the sketch is described as an African-American male with a dark complexion, 20-30 years old, 6'2" tall with a thin build, and a light mark in between the corner of his right eye and the bridge of his nose.
His vehicle was described as an older, dark gray, American-made, possibly early 90's, four-door sedan, with tinted rear windows and a gray-leather interior.
The Alameda County Crimestoppers are offering a $1,000 reward in this case.
If you have any information, please call any of the following:
Walnut Creek Police: (925) 943-5844
San Leandro Police: (510) 577-2740
San Leandro Police Anonymous Tipline: (510) 577-3278
Crimestoppers: (510) 293-7197
