Man suspected of kidnapping teen, trying to rob him at knifepoint arrested in Salinas

A man who police said is suspected of trying to kidnap a teen and rob him at knifepoint was arrested in Salinas Wednesay.

The reported incident happened on Monday. A 14-year-old boy said he had met the suspect, 23-year-old Roman Santos Velasco, on social media and that they had been talking for about a month.

Police said the boy told them Velasco drove to his house and offered him a ride to school. The boy got in the car, but then police said Velasco drove past the school and into the county area. The boy said he told Velasco to take him back, but when he realized they were going somewhere else he got out and ran away.

Velasco also demanded money from the boy at knifepoint and touched his genital area over his clothes, according to police.

On Wednesday afternoon, police saw Velasco driving in the 1-100 block of W. Market Street and stopped him. Officers identified him as the suspect and arrested him.

Velasco was booked into the Monterey County Jail and charged with kidnapping, armed robbery and lewd acts with a minorr.

“This is scary. I don’t want to think about it, but it’s something we need to pay attention to with our kids,” said Salinas parent, Anabel Ramirez, after hearing about the incident.

Police are warning parents of the dangers of social media. “It is a warning to parents that we need to continue to be very vigilant with what our children are doing when they are online,” said Salinas Police spokesperson, Miguel Cabrera.

Police recommend keeping open and honest communication with your child in order to monitor their online activity.