CHP sees vehicle stuck on roadside; woman tries to jump into patrol car
A Lancaster man has been arrested on charges of kidnapping, felony domestic violence, terrorist threats and assault likely to produce great bodily injury after a California Highway Patrol supervisor, who was completing his shift early Saturday morning, March 26, near the Sonora Pass Road/S.R 108 junction with U.S. 395 apparently interrupted an alleged kidnapping in progress after he pulled over to see why a vehicle was stopped off the road near the junction.
The man alleged to be the kidnapper has been identified as Erick Alexander Luna, 47, Lancaster, who is now in the Mono County Jail, the CHP said.
According to the CHP in a press report and an interview, when the CHP supervisor pulled over to investigate, a woman, followed by an adult man, ran over to the patrol car, tried to get into the passenger side door (which was locked), then ran around and tried to get into the driver’s door before the CHP sergeant was able to connect with the woman (who the CHP said was too in shock to talk), and ask her if she felt safe.
According to the CHP, the woman shook her head to indicate “No” and the CHP officer called for backup, then got the woman into his patrol car.
After that, the CHP officer detained Luna. Shortly after, backup CHP arrived, along with a Mono County Sheriff deputy, and conducted “a thorough investigation, determining the woman had allegedly been kidnapped and violently attacked on the shoulder of the road,” the CHP said.
It became clear the two had been in a romantic relationship earlier but the woman said they had recently broken up and she said they were ‘just friends’; Luna said he did not agree they were just friends. She said she had gone up to Carson City with Luna to do a moving job, but after some time, she told Luna she did not want to be there anymore and “wanted to go home.” Luna told CHP he did not want to leave Carson City; instead, he wanted to keep working and make more money. The two started to fight more and more while in Carson City, the CHP said. At some point, according to the CHP, Luna said the only way she would go home was if he took her home and they started toward her home. Then, on the way to her home, because he was tired, he pulled over on the side of the road to sleep near the Sonora Pass junction.
At some point in the morning, the two started to fight again and the fight became physical. At some point following this, the CHP supervisor saw the car pulled off the road and stopped in investigate.
The woman was in a safe place at press time, the CHP said.
“The alleged suspect was then arrested and booked into the Mono County Jail for kidnapping, felony domestic violence, terrorist threats and assault likely to produce great bodily injury charges,” the CHP said.
CHP Bridgeport Area Felony Investigation personnel responded to the scene and the investigation into the alleged crimes continues, they said.
“CHP Bridgeport appreciates the assistance of the Mono County Sheriff’s deputy who responded, as well as the local advocacy group who came to the victim’s aide,” CHP said.
