PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (WSVN) \u2014 Authorities have arrested a man who was caught on camera dragging an elderly woman away outside a church in Port St. Lucie, accused of trying to abduct her.<\/p>\n
Investigators believe that if it weren\u2019t for witnesses in the area, the assailant might have gotten away with it.<\/p>\n
The suspect, identified as Jose Zamora, faces a slew of charges, including attempted kidnapping with a firearm.<\/p>\n
Police said the target was his 74-year-old ex-girlfriend.<\/p>\n
Surveillance video captured the moment investigators said Zamora tried to force the victim into a vehicle.<\/p>\n
Port St. Lucie Police Chief Leo Niemzyck said the incident happened Sunday morning outside of the First United Methodist Church of Port St. Lucie.<\/p>\n
Investigators said Zamora wanted to talk to the victim before he pulled a gun and tried to force her into his car.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuspect did remove a firearm and placed it at the victim\u2019s side and tried to force her into the vehicle,\u201d said Niemzyck.<\/p>\n
The police chief said witnesses stepped in.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeveral witnesses witnessed what was going on and intervened. The courage that they displayed helped disarm a very dangerous escalating situation,\u201d said Niemzyck.<\/p>\n
As soon as witnesses stepped in, investigators said, Zamora fled to Hialeah.<\/p>\n
The victim reported some pain but did not suffer any visible injuries.<\/p>\n
Police said the woman previously lived with Zamora in Hollywood before the two moved to Fort Pierce.<\/p>\n
Investigators said that by last December, she wanted him out of the house after he became aggressive toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey had a prior romantic relationship which had ended, and it ended allegedly to some infidelities, but he has a significant violent criminal history to include past attempted kidnapping,\u201d said Niemzyck.<\/p>\n
Police said the victim obtained a protective injunction against Zamora in March after he was arrested on a weapons violation.<\/p>\n
Niemzyck said the suspect\u2019s history and the circumstances surrounding this case gave investigators reason to believe that the woman could have been in serious danger.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a convicted felon prohibited from having a firearm, and he\u2019s got a dangerous past, so family of his believed that he was a danger to himself as well as her, actually considered he was a potential \u2018suicide by cop\u2019 suspect,\u201d said Niemzyck.<\/p>\n
Investigators said license plate readers helped them track Zamora to Hialeah.<\/p>\n
He is now being held in the St. Lucie County Jail on a $750,000 bond.<\/p>\n
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