A Sunnyvale woman was kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend outside of a Mountain View restaurant Friday (April 22), according to police. The man allegedly threatened to kill the woman and took her back to his house before he ultimately agreed to let her go.
Mountain View police arrested 28-year-old Servando Reyes at his home after the victim reported the kidnapping the next day, April 23, Mountain View police spokeswoman Liz Wylie said.
The incident began at about 10 p.m. Friday night, outside of the Chaat Paradise restaurant in Mountain View. The victim, who was with Reyes at the restaurant, called her brother-in-law and asked him to pick her up, because, according to Wylie, Reyes was “not happy’ with the breakup.
As she was getting into her brother-in-law’s car, Reyes came up to the vehicle, and her brother-in-law attempted to speed off, Wylie said. However, he hit a pole, which gave Reyes an opportunity to open the car door, throw his ex-girlfriend over his shoulder and drag her to his car, even as her brother-in-law attempted to physically stop Reyes — at one point punching him in the face.
Reyes drove around “aimlessly” for about 45 minutes, Wylie said — “sometimes at a high rate of speed” and threatened to crash the car and kill himself along with his former girlfriend. Finally, Reyes drove back to his house with the victim.
Meanwhile, the brother-in-law called his wife, the victim’s sister, who then drove to Reyes’ house, Wylie said. There, after a heated discussion with the sister as well as members of his own family — all of whom implored Reyes to let his ex-girlfriend go — he relented and the victim left with her sister.
Yet the incident was not reported until 10:22 p.m. on Saturday. “Domestic violence is something that is often times under-reported for various reasons,” Wylie said. In this instance, according to the police spokeswoman, no one involved — not the victim, her brother-in-law, sister, nor Reyes’ family members who were involved, reported the incident.
Fear of retribution often plays a heavy role in the under-reporting of such incidents, Wylie said.
The victim decided to report the incident after Reyes went to her work the next day and waited for her to arrive. When she did, Reyes asked to talk to her, but she refused and a coworker convinced the ex-boyfriend to leave. The victim, also 28 years old and from Sunnyvale, reported the kidnapping after work.
“It is important that these things get reported because this could have ended very poorly for the victim,” Wylie said. “We can help people and we can help put people in contact with resources that can help get them out of these types of situations.”
Police found Reyes at his home with a black eye. He was arrested without incident and charged with kidnapping and misdemeanor domestic violence.
The family went to the ex-boyfriends house and tried to talk him out of keeping the victim but they couldn’t so they left? Did I read that right?
“Meanwhile, the brother-in-law called his wife, the victim’s sister, who…”
Unless he is a polygamist, the fact that the brother-in-law’s wife is the sister does not need to be clarified.
Why am I not surprised the assailant is Latino. Who wants to bet the guy is an illegal alien. I guess he’s just doing the kidnapping Americans won’t do.
She went into the restaurant with him (as a couple? ) and broke up with him, so when they go outside they are ex’s now. Obviously the break up in a public place went bad. or she was broke up with him and still went to dinner with him.
watch out for crazies
You read it wrong; reread for clarification.
I’m glad the police weren’t called to the scene and nobody died.
And I thought vegetarians were non-violent!