Update: This story updated Sunday with the suspect’s name and the charges filed.
Evanston police arrested a 28-year-old Chicago man on Saturday morning, May 20, after he allegedly attempted to force an Evanston woman into his vehicle shortly before 10 a.m., according to an EPD press release posted Saturday afternoon.
The incident occurred along University Place on Northwestern’s campus, not far from Sheridan Road and the Weber Arch. The victim flagged down an officer in the area for help and gave a description of the suspect and his vehicle, EPD said.
“Two Evanston Police Officers were in the area and spotted a Ford Escape matching the description of the offender’s vehicle. The Ford was south bound on Chicago Avenue at Clark Street,” the police news release said. “The officers attempted to stop the Ford, but it did not stop. The Ford and its driver led police on a low speed chase south on Chicago Avenue to South Boulevard before stopping.”
At that point, the officers arrested the suspect “without incident.” The victim “did not sustain any significant physical injuries,” and the car chase did not cause any “injuries or traffic crashes,” according to EPD.
On Sunday, an EPD news release identified the suspect as James Saye, 28, of the 6100 block of North Seeley Ave. in Chicago. Saye was charged with two felonies – attempted kidnapping and aggravated fleeing – and several traffic citations, EPD said. He iss cheduled to appear in bond court on Monday, May 22 at the Skokie courthouse.
Neither the victim nor the suspect is a Northwestern student, university spokesperson Jon Yates told the RoundTable on Saturday. Yates also said the attempted abduction appears to be an isolated incident and Northwestern officials “do not believe there is any ongoing threat to campus.”
“There is no prior connection between the victim and the alleged offender,” police said.