Coworker Charged After Woman Kidnapped Outside Office

A Workday Ended With an Abduction

A woman leaving her Minnesota workplace was allegedly kidnapped by a man who also worked at the business, beginning an eight-hour ordeal that ended when she reached a gas station and found help. Pao Yang, 41, of Isanti, now faces six criminal charges, including kidnapping and first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Prosecutors allege Yang approached the woman outside her Roseville office while masked and armed, then forced her away from the workplace. Court documents say he took her to a wooded area and restrained her. The woman ultimately survived and was released near St. Paul, according to authorities.

She then made her way to a nearby gas station, where people helped her and contacted police. Roseville Police Chief Erika Scheider said investigators treated the victim’s safety and the rapid identification of a suspect as their immediate priorities.

Surveillance Created a Trail

The investigation quickly expanded beyond the place where the woman was taken. Detectives reviewed hundreds of hours of surveillance footage, according to police. They noticed that a camera outside the workplace had been moved and its power connection cut, court documents allege.

Investigators traced an Acura SUV through other cameras and found footage from a Target store. MPR News reported that a break in the case came when detectives connected a dress the woman said she had been made to wear to a purchase at Target. A coworker later identified Yang from an image, authorities said.

Police then followed additional digital and physical evidence. Court documents cited by CBS Minnesota say Yang’s cellphone was detected near locations relevant to the investigation and that officers later found the SUV in his garage along with items they believed were connected to the case.

Charges Followed Within Days

Yang was arrested Friday night and formally charged Monday. He faces counts involving kidnapping, criminal sexual conduct and assault. Prosecutors sought a high bail amount at his first court appearance.

The allegations remain unproven, and Yang is presumed innocent unless convicted. The charging documents contain additional claims about threats made during the abduction, but the central verified sequence is already unusually specific: a woman disappeared from outside her workplace, survived hours of captivity and reached a public place where others could summon help.

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi credited the woman’s composure with helping investigators obtain information quickly. Police also emphasized the amount of surveillance review involved in identifying a suspect. The case now moves from the rapid investigative phase into the court system, while the woman and her family remain at the center of the harm described by prosecutors.

References: CBS Minnesota | MPR News

The Truth In Facts team was assisted by generative AI technology in creating this content