PPD investigates attempted abduction of WSU student
Woman reported alleged incident happened at her apartment Friday evening
The Pullman Police Department is investigating a possible attempted abduction of a Washington State University student.
Daniela Padilla, a Ph.D. international student at WSU, made a Facebook post Monday morning alerting the community about an incident that reportedly occurred Friday evening. According to the post, a man tried to abduct Padilla by forcing his way into her apartment. She was able to prevent him from coming in and called the police.
While walking home after taking the bus Friday night, Padilla noticed a black sedan with no plates parked in front of her apartment door, according to the post. The parked car was running and the trunk was open, according to the post. She kept walking to her apartment and as she approached her door a man appeared behind her.
Padilla was able to make it inside her home, but the man grabbed the door handle and began to push the door open. She was able to prevent him from entering her apartment.
Pullman Police Operations Commander Aaron Breshears said the department received a report of a suspicious person around 6:15 p.m. Friday on Terre View Drive. Police were dispatched and arrived at the scene within minutes of the call. They checked the surrounding area, but were unable to locate the man or vehicle. Officers continued to provide extra patrols throughout the evening.
Padilla told police she didn’t recognize the man. Breshears said the man was described as possibly Asian or Latino, about 5 feet 5 inches tall and wearing a green sweatshirt.
Pullman police are asking the community for assistance in identifying the vehicle or man involved in this alleged incident. Information can be provided to Sgt. Todd Dow or the Pullman Police Department by calling (509) 334-0802.
Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.
