An Isanti man is facing multiple felony charges after police say he kidnapped a woman at gunpoint outside her Roseville workplace and sexually assaulted her — a case Roseville police describe as "extremely complex."
Pao Yang, 41, of Isanti, was arraigned Monday on charges including two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and assault with a dangerous weapon, according to the Ramsey County Attorney's Office and the city of Roseville. He is being held at the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center on $2.5 million bail.
According to the criminal complaint, the 27-year-old victim had just left her workplace — a dental clinic near East Snelling Service Drive and County Road C in Roseville — around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, September 23, when a masked man wearing gloves approached her with a handgun and forced her into a vehicle.
Police say Yang worked as a cleaner at the dental clinic. Investigators say the clinic's exterior camera had been tampered with on the day of the attack, and a coworker later identified the suspect from store surveillance footage.
The woman told police the man released her hours later on St. Paul's east side, near Phalen Park. She was hospitalized for undisclosed injuries. Bystanders called 911 after she was released.
Roseville police arrested Yang at his Isanti home on Friday, September 25. According to investigators, officers recovered clothing matching the surveillance footage, along with zip ties, gloves, and firearms.
Police traced the suspect through hours of surveillance video, cellphone records, and vehicle sightings. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security assisted in the investigation, which police say provided critical help in identifying and locating the suspect.
At a press conference Monday, Roseville Police Chief Erika Scheider said the circumstances were especially alarming because the woman did not know her attacker and the abduction happened in the late afternoon in a busy commercial area.
"For our community it was scary. How does this happen at 5 p.m. on a Wednesday evening in an area that a lot of people are around?" Scheider said. "We take any report of violence in our community extremely seriously, and this case was no exception."
Deputy Chief Joe Adams said police deliberately limited what they shared publicly about the victim's experience: "We're going to be thoughtful about how we discuss the victim and what she experienced. The criminal complaint contains details that are part of the public record. We'll not repeat some of those details from this podium. We believe this is appropriate with respect to the victim and what she went through."
Police had deployed additional patrols in the area while the investigation was underway and say they expect the case to continue developing as prosecutors prepare for trial.
All charges are allegations. Yang is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. NCN is not naming the victim, consistent with standard practice in sexual assault cases.
— National Correspondent Network. Reporting based on the Roseville Police Department, the city of Roseville, WCCO, and the Roseville Reader.
