Woman thought to have been possibly kidnapped in Lynnwood says she wasn't

EVERETT, Wash. -- A 20-year-old woman who was believed to have been a victim of a possible kidnapping in Lynnwood on March 14 was arrested last Saturday on unrelated outstanding warrants and said she had not been abducted, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said Monday.

"The 20 year-old Renton woman admitted she was the person in the surveillance photo and says she was not kidnapped. Detectives continue to investigate the incident. Since she is considered a victim of a crime and the incident is still under investigation, the Sheriff’s Office will not be releasing her name," the sheriff's office said in a news release.

Here is Q13 News' early story from March 14:

LYNNWOOD, Wash. – The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office said Monday night it was investigating two witness reports of a possible kidnapping near the intersection of Larch Way and Poplar Way in Lynnwood.

Snohomish County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Shari Ireton says two witnesses reported a possible kidnapping  that occurred at 5:49 p.m. Monday.

The sheriff's office said witnesses reported that a woman in her mid-teens to early 20s was walking eastbound along Larch Way when a blue Ford Explorer stopped.  The driver was reported to have jumped out of the vehicle, leaving the driver side door open, grabbed the female, and shoved her into the vehicle through the driver side door.

The vehicle fled the area traveling eastbound on Larch Way, the sheriff's office said.  Then the SUV reportedly turned northbound on 28th Avenue West, made a U-turn and traveled southbound on 28th Avenue West.

The sheriff's office says they're checking surveillance video in the area to see if suspect vehicle was caught on camera.

The driver was described as a 5-foot-9 white or light-skinned Hispanic male, medium to light build, wearing a dark gray beanie.  The female was described as having long blonde or dark blonde hair and was wearing a white jacket with fur around the hood.  Witnesses said they could not see any license plates on the Ford Explorer.

Detectives determined that the possible victim was at an Albertsons grocery store at 212th and 44th Avenue West in Lynnwood around 5:32 p.m.

Ireton said video surveillance shows the woman arriving at the store and was driving the suspect vehicle. She enters the store, then leaves a few minutes later and drives away in the vehicle. "The victim does not appear to be accompanied by anyone at the store, nor does there appear to be anyone else in the vehicle," a sheriff's news release said.

The location of the crime -- if there was a crime -- occurred about 15 minutes later and a little over a half-mile west of the grocery store.