San Jose police last week made an arrest in a kidnapping and assault from Jan. 10 in which the suspect held a knife to a woman's neck, the police department said Monday.
Zhanfang Xu, 43, of Sunnyvale was arrested Jan. 31 on suspicion of kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon and attempted robbery, police said.
The incident took place at about 9 p.m. Jan. 10 in the 5000 block of Lapa Drive, police said. The suspect approached the woman from behind, held a knife to her neck and forced her to walk to a nearby sidewalk and sit down.
As the suspect tried to cover her mouth with packing tape and remove her purse, she fought back and was able to escape, police said. Neighbors who saw the assault came to the victim's aid, and the suspect fled.
"Very traumatizing for someone," SJPD Sgt. Christian Camarillo said. "You're walking near your residence, someone with a hood on their head comes up to you, puts a knife to your neck and tries to cover your mouth with tape. Very scary for this person."
Police also praised neighbors who jumped in and scared the suspect away.
"We're very thankful to the people that came to her aid," Camarillo said. "People saw what was happening and came to help her."
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Evidence at the scene led to the identification of Xu, a known associate of the victim, police said. Xu was arrested by SJPD’s Covert Response Unit in Sunnyvale.
Police said the victim apparently knew the suspect.
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Anyone with information about the case should contact Detective Yee of the SJPD Robbery Unit via email: 4342@sanjoseca.gov or at 408-277-4166. Tips may be anonymous by using the P3TIPS mobile app, calling the tip line at (408) 947-STOP, or on www.svcrimestoppers.org.
