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LOGAN – Police in Logan are investigating why a man tried to grab a woman off the sidewalk and force her inside his trunk Tuesday morning.
Two teens saw it happen and tried to go after the man. The woman told investigators she had never seen the man before.
A person of interest was in custody Wednesday and police said they had some evidence that tied him to the crime scene. Police believe it was a random incident. It happened around 8 a.m. Tuesday on 300 South near Logan High School.
Joanny Ramos and her boyfriend were on their way to school when they heard screaming and saw a car speed off.
"He ran after her, grabbed her, and like pulled her back and was like, trying to throw her into his trunk," Ramos said.
Moments before that, the man in that car spotted a woman walking down 300 South and turned around to pull over just ahead of the woman, according to police.
"Parked alongside the roadway, opened his trunk," said Capt. Curtis Hooley.
"We thought it was pretty weird because you don't really hear about that stuff here, you know in Logan," Ramos said.
Hooley said the man simply waited for the woman to walk up.
"And when she did, he grabbed her and they struggled and it looked like, from what we could see, he was trying to put her in the trunk, but she was able to struggle away from him. And at some point, he punched her in the eye," Hooley added.
Ramos and her boyfriend initially went after the car but decided to back off as the car sped up. They went back to make sure the woman was OK. "She was just sitting on the floor. She looked shocked and didn't want to speak," Ramos said.
Police said the teens did the right thing when they backed off as it became too dangerous. Hooley said, "I think that's remarkable you know, obviously, willing to put themselves out there."
Cameras from Logan High School caught the man's car, which police believe is a 2005 to 2010 gray or silver Honda Civic.
"Crazy. It's just crazy that, like, these things happen," Ramos said.
Police were still talking with a person of interest Wednesday evening. If you know anything that may help the investigation, call the Logan Police Department.
Even with the punch to the eye, the victim was shaken up but otherwise OK.
