Shopper saves woman from would-be abductor

By Dave Jordan, NEWS 9

A fellow shopper saved a woman from her would-be kidnapper in the parking lot of a south Oklahoma City Wal-Mart.

As the woman was loading groceries into her car on Saturday, a man pulled a car up next to her and grabbed her, according to a police report released Thursday.

The man then tried to pull the woman into the back of car driven by another man.  A nearby shopper ran to the woman's rescue, pulling her out of the man's car, the report read.

Both women escaped with minor injuries, said police Sgt. Gary Knight.

Knight says this was a crime of opportunity.

"You're distracted," he said. "You're trying to load groceries into a car, unlock it and that's pretty much what the criminal was looking for you to be doing.

Watch the Feature Video to the right to see the attempted kidnapping and rescue unfold.

From the video, it appears as if the man was trying to grab the victim's purse, and dragged her in the process.  Knight said kidnappings are rare, but purse snatchings are not.  Police said there are steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim while shopping.

"Take a second person," Knight said. "There's strength in numbers. If a store has security, approach and ask to see if they can walk you out to your vehicle."

Police said they have identified the two men, but not arrested had been made as of Thursday night.