ORLANDO, Fla. — Police arrested a man wearing an ankle monitor Monday after he allegedly attempted to kidnap a woman in a Walmart parking lot on South Goldenrod Road, according to authorities.
Officers with the Orlando Police Department responded to the scene around 4:30 p.m. for reports of an armed robbery and attempted kidnapping. The suspect, identified as 54-year-old Juan Marcos Perez, allegedly approached the woman while pacing in the parking lot, police said. He then pulled a knife and held it to the woman’s throat before forcing her into the trunk of her car.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by local media, the victim tried to resist the attack. Perez reportedly threatened her, saying, “If you keep this up, I’ll slice your throat.”
A bystander intervened, noticing the victim’s legs “flailing out of the trunk” while Perez attempted to push her inside, the affidavit said. The witness stopped her car and got out to assist, prompting Perez to flee the scene.
Perez was later identified as a suspect after police learned he was a registered sex offender on parole for a previous kidnapping conviction. His parole officer confirmed Perez’s identity from surveillance footage and noted that he was wearing a GPS ankle monitor at the time. Data from the monitor placed Perez at the Walmart during the attempted kidnapping and armed robbery.
Perez was taken into custody and is expected to face charges related to the incident.