Calgary police have charged a 23-year-old man with one count of kidnapping in connection with an investigation last May.
According to police, a woman was taken against her will from outside her southeast Calgary workplace shortly after 6 p.m. on May 2. The woman was about to get into her car when she was approached by an unknown man and forced into a vehicle.
Police said the woman was located several days later and safely removed from an Airbnb in Citadel Estates Heights Northwest where she had been held.
Investigators have released a photo of the Airbnb property involved in the investigation and are appealing to the public for any information about the movements in and out of the home during the time of the offence. Calgary police say the homeowners were not involved and are co-operating with police.
The woman was released on a rural road east of Calgary on May 4. Police say she was physically unharmed.
“Targeted kidnappings are often associated to organized crime and this is believed to be one such incident,” the Calgary Police Service said in a news release. “Investigators believe several individuals from the Calgary area conspired to commit this act of violence.”
Police continue to investigate the involvement of others in the incident.
“Violent events and organized crime activity have no place in our city. This activity puts friends, families, neighbourhoods and innocent bystanders in harm’s way. Our dedicated investigators will get to the bottom of these incidents and will hold people accountable,” said Staff Sgt. Roland Stewart, with the organized crime and offender management section.
Police charged Raejean Charles Sydey Hudson with one count of kidnapping on Monday.