Prosecutors Arrest and Indict Man in His 40s for 'Abducting Elementary Student on Way to School'

A man in his 40s who kidnapped an elementary school student on the way to school and attempted to extort money from the parents has been brought to trial.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 12th, the Criminal Division 2 of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Jae-hyeok) announced that Baek was arrested and indicted on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (commercial kidnapping and enticement).

Baek is accused of threatening an elementary school student, Mr. A, with a weapon in front of an apartment in Dobong-gu, Seoul, at around 8:40 a.m. on the 19th of last month, dragging him to the rooftop of a nearby apartment, binding him with tape, and sending a text message to the parents demanding 200 million won.

Mr. A escaped by himself about an hour after being kidnapped by cutting the tape while Baek went down to the first floor to check if the police were coming. Mr. A asked for help at the local police station, and his parents also reported the threat to the police.

It was confirmed that Baek committed the crime due to pressure from a debt of 170 million won. It was investigated that he wandered for about an hour in the apartment's common staircase carrying a weapon and blue tape to select a target at the time of the crime.

After Mr. A escaped, Baek changed clothes and used an umbrella to evade the police pursuit, but the police tracked his movements through CCTV and arrested him at his home about eight hours after the crime.

The prosecution stated, "Baek was arrested and indicted after confirming that he committed a planned crime," and added, "We will do our utmost to maintain the prosecution so that the suspect receives punishment corresponding to the crime in the future."