A woman was found inside a vehicle on St. Paul's East Side early Tuesday after police received reports that she had been assaulted and was being held against her will. The suspect drove off with officers in pursuit, then ran away after the vehicle stopped. A search with K9 units and drones did not locate him.
Police were first called to the area of Livingston and Filmore avenues at about 5:30 a.m. for a reported assault, according to KSTP. Officers did not find the woman there. A subsequent call reported that she was inside a vehicle and being held against her will.
Officers found the vehicle and pursued it to the area of Iowa Avenue East and Flandrau Street. The vehicle stopped, and the suspect ran away, leaving it behind, KSTP 5 Eyewitness News reported.
Victim Found Inside Vehicle, Declines Medical Care
Officers found the woman from the initial assault call inside the vehicle. She declined medical attention, according to the report. Police have not released further details about her condition or her relationship to the suspect.
K9 units and drones were used in the search, but officers did not find the suspect, KSTP 5 Eyewitness News reported. As of publication, the search was ongoing and police said they could not share additional information.
A Separate St. Paul Kidnapping Case Already Moving Through Court
The incident comes weeks after a different St. Paul attempted-kidnapping case resulted in charges. The Ramsey County Attorney's Office charged Eduart Gomez Ochoa with first-degree burglary and attempted kidnapping in late October, according to the Pioneer Press, after a woman identified him in a photo lineup with 80% certainty as the man who tried to abduct her inside an apartment. A judge has since ordered an evaluation to determine whether Gomez Ochoa has cognitive impairment or mental illness and whether he's competent to stand trial.
It's not clear whether Tuesday's incident is connected to that case in any way, and nothing in available reporting suggests a link between the two.
Drones Increasingly Part of St. Paul Police Response
Rules for Police Drone Use and Video
The city says department drones are deployed only for calls for service, not for general surveillance.
Drone Video Retention
The City of Saint Paul says drone video is retained for seven days unless it is classified as evidence. More details are on the City of Saint Paul’s public-safety technology page.
Pursuit Policy and Support Resources
The Saint Paul Police Department’s published pursuit policy says an officer’s decision to initiate, continue or join a vehicle pursuit must be based on facts known or reasonably believed at the time. That policy language alone does not establish whether this incident complied with it or when a pursuit should end. For people seeking help after an assault, Ramsey County’s Call4All page lists the Minnesota Day One 24/7 hotline, 866-223-1111, for victims and survivors of general crime and other forms of violence.
