A 42-year-old man accused of assaulting two people, kidnapping a woman and making criminal threats in Fullerton was taken into custody, police announced Monday.
A 911 call came into the Fullerton Police Department communications center at approximately 4:10 a.m. Sunday from a female victim of a man known to her, who was attacking her and another person she was with, police said.
Investigators were sent to the area of South Acacia Avenue and Dawns Way, where the female victim alleged the suspect was attempting to take her against her will, police said.
A struggle was heard as the dispatcher remained on the line, before the call went silent, with the last sounds being those of a fleeing vehicle and responding sirens.
Police said the responding officers located a vehicle leaving the scene within two minutes of their arrival.
The driver was identified as the male victim, who told the officers that he was assaulted during an altercation and that the female victim was forcibly dragged into the suspect’s vehicle.
The male and female victims were sitting in their vehicle moments before the suspect approached the two and began striking the vehicle with his hands.
“Fearing for her safety, the female victim told him (the male victim) to drive to the Fullerton Police Department,” police said in a statement.
The two began traveling northbound on Acacia Avenue moments before the suspect intentionally rammed their vehicle. Police said the victims, unfamiliar with the area, continued eastbound onto Dawns Way and entered a cul-de-sac.
The vehicle was rammed a second time, moments before the suspect exited his car and began vandalizing the victim’s vehicle, police said.
The male victim attempted to exit his vehicle and was allegedly assaulted by the suspect, who demanded his wallet and threatened to retrieve a firearm to kill him.
”Fearing for his life, the victim armed himself with a hammer to defend himself. The suspect then swung a metal sign at the victim before turning his attention to the female victim,” police said.
Detectives determined, after further investigation, that the suspect grabbed the female victim’s phone and threw it on the ground moments before allegedly dragging her into his vehicle and fleeing the scene.
Police said the suspect vehicle was located about an hour later by an officer on the shoulder of the Orange (57) Freeway near Ball Road in Anaheim. The suspect ran away, crossing freeway lanes and prompting a perimeter search and a temporary freeway closure as officers worked to locate him.
Detectives identified the suspect as Charles Hernandez and later determined a possible location. He was eventually located at approximately 5:30 p.m. in Newport Beach, police said.
Hernandez was booked at the Fullerton City Jail on suspicion of multiple offenses, including kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, felony vandalism, and domestic violence.
Anyone with information regarding the case was urged to call FPD Crimes Persons Detective N. Valdes at 714-738-6754. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS or visit P3tips.com/913.