Still no sign of woman possibly abducted in Lynnwood area

Published 5:10 pm Tuesday, March 15, 2016

LYNNWOOD — It is a perplexing case.

Two witnesses in separate cars reported the possible abduction of a woman Monday evening after watching a man shove her into a blue Ford Explorer near Lynnwood.

In an odd twist, the woman had been seen driving alone in the same vehicle a few minutes earlier.

“There is a lot we don’t know,” Snohomish County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Shari Ireton said late Tuesday afternoon.

Deputies don’t know the identity of either the woman or the man or if even they knew each other.

What they do know is witnesses were concerned enough to call 911 and report what appeared to be an abduction.

The woman reportedly was spotted driving the Explorer to stop at a grocery store, a few minutes before witnesses say she was forced into the vehicle and taken away. It was not clear Tuesday if she bought anything at the store. She was recorded on a store surveillance camera.

Investigators say the apparent abduction unfolded at 5:49 p.m. Monday.

Witnesses said the woman who appeared in her teens or early 20s was walking along Larch Way near the intersection with Poplar Way. A home surveillance camera also recorded her walking on the sidewalk.

An Explorer reportedly pulled to a stop after crossing all lanes of traffic. The driver jumped out and pushed the woman into the vehicle and drove away.

Detectives released photos of the woman taken from surveillance video. She’d been at a grocery store at 212th Street SW and 44th Avenue W. in Lynnwood, about 15 minutes prior to the incident, Ireton said.

The woman drove the Explorer to and from the store, Ireton said.

“The victim does not appear to be accompanied by anyone at the store, nor does there appear to be anyone else in the vehicle,” she said.

The store where the woman was recorded on video is about a half mile east from where the potential abduction occurred. So far, it has been hard to get license plate information.

The woman was described as blonde and wearing a white jacket with a fur-lined hood. The man was described as white or Hispanic, 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a medium build and wearing a gray knit cap.

Detectives continue to follow up on several leads and tips.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.