A man accused of trying to kidnap a woman in Avila Beach was arrested by San Luis Obispo deputies on Wednesday. According to the SLO Sheriff’s Office, they received a call on Monday at about 2:45 p.m regarding an attempted kidnapping that had just occurred.
The female victim told police she was walking on the Avila Ridge Trail when she noticed a man in front of her. She said he was sitting down and appeared to be looking at the ocean. The victim stated she walked past the man. However, he then started to walk behind her.
The suspect grabbed the victim and tried to drag her to some nearby bushes. The victim said she broke free and ran down the trail toward the Pirates Cove parking lot as the suspect took off in the opposite direction.
At the time, deputies with the assistance of a CHP helicopter searched the area, but were unable to locate the suspect. The victim provided a description of him to authorities. She described him as a light-skinned Hispanic male adult in his 50s with green eyes and patchy facial hair.
On Wednesday, the sheriff’s received a report from three women from New York who were visiting Pirates Cove in Avila Beach. The women said that at around 2 p.m. they were getting into their car in the lot, when they saw a man about two yards away, openly masturbating. According to the SLO Sheriff’s Office, the man matched the description of a suspect involved in the attempted kidnapping.
On Thursday at around 3 p.m., a deputy ran into a man on the Shell Beach Bluff Trail who matched the description of the suspect involved in the attempted kidnapping and the lewd behavior.
The man was identified as Jose Alfredo Martinez, 41, of Santa Maria. Martinez had an outstanding warrant for his arrest from Santa Barbara County for failing to appear in court on a charge of being under the influence of a controlled substance. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with one count of attempted kidnapping. His bail was set at $100,000.
