Man arrested for false imprisonment; gas station clerk credited with helping tip off Jacksonville police

Jacksonville, FL — An alert convenience store worker is credited for alerting the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to a suspicious incident that, ultimately, ended with the safe recovery of a woman.

The Kangaroo Express employee saw a woman in a car mouthing “Help” in a parking lot at Beach near Hodges early Sunday.  He called 911 and gave police a detailed description of the car.

An officer located the vehicle and attempted to make a traffic stop but the driver fled from the area.  The pursuit ended at Leon Road and Byrnes Road in Arlington and the driver was taken into custody.

Jose Ramos Sandoval was arrested for False Imprisonment, Fleeing Police, and Violation of Probation.

The woman told police she was walking from one local beach pub to another when Sandoval pulled up to her and asked if she needed a lift somewhere.  She thought the man was a known acquaintance to another friend of hers so she got in.

The woman told police she began to fear for her safety when they drove away from her destination.  When she tried to get out of the car, she said the suspect grabbed her hair, and refused to let her leave.

When they pulled into the Kangaroo parking lot, she says she mouthed the word “Help” to the employee.

JSO pubicly thanked the alert employee for making a difference but did not release his identity in this Facebook post.

Alert Convenience Store Clerk Acted - Saving Woman On Sunday, February 11, 2018, at 1:13 a.m. a Kangaroo Express...

Posted by Jacksonville Sheriff's Office on Monday, February 12, 2018

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