San Luis Obispo Police arrested a man suspected of attempting to kidnap a woman downtown on Tuesday, according to a city news release.William Francis, 34, was arrested and booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on the charges of obstructing or resisting an officer and being drunk in public. Police said in a news release Francis was also arrested on the charge of attempted kidnapping, though that charge is not listed on the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office webpage under inmate details.
Around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Francis attempted to grab a woman walking across a crosswalk in Downtown San Luis Obispo.
A “concerned” person observing the scene at the time intervened, giving the woman time to escape the situation by jumping into the car of a driver, who the police said was concerned for the woman’s safety. The same person who first intervened followed Francis to Mission Plaza, where Francis became physically aggressive towards other people, police said in the news release. The individual “fought with Francis to prevent another assault.”When San Luis Obispo Police took Francis into custody afterward, he “assaulted” officers but did not injure them, according to the news release.
Francis is not a San Luis Obispo resident, though police did not disclose where he is from. This is an ongoing investigation. Police ask anyone with information regarding this crime to call Officer Matthew Perlette at 805-594-8029 with reference to case #220531032.