A 41-year-old man who worked as a cleaner at a Roseville dental office has been charged after authorities say he kidnapped a female employee as she left work, held her for hours and sexually assaulted her.
Pao Yang, of Isanti, was arrested Sept. 25 and later charged in Ramsey County with six felony counts, including two counts of kidnapping, two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, first-degree aggravated robbery and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. He remains in custody with bail set at $2.5 million.
The incident happened around 5 p.m. Sept. 23 near County Road C and East Snelling Service Drive in Roseville. According to the criminal complaint, the 27-year-old woman was leaving the dental office when a masked man wearing gloves approached her with a handgun and demanded her vehicle.
Investigators say the woman was then taken toward a nearby wooded area, where she was restrained and threatened. The complaint alleges that Yang later returned, took her to a different location and kept her captive for several more hours.
Police said the woman was eventually released in the St. Paul area. She was able to reach a gas station and get help before receiving medical treatment. Authorities have said she and Yang were not known to each other, although investigators are still examining whether she was specifically targeted.
Camera tampering became an early clue
Investigators discovered that a Ring camera at the dental office had been tampered with before the alleged abduction. Police said the camera had been moved so it no longer captured the parking area, and its power connection had also been cut.
That detail became important because Yang had worked at the business as a cleaner. Police later reviewed a large amount of surveillance footage from businesses, homes and other locations while working to reconstruct what happened.
A major breakthrough came from an item the woman was allegedly forced to wear during the incident.
Police traced the dress to a Target store in Blaine. Surveillance footage from the store showed a man making the purchase, and investigators said his appearance and distinctive walk helped lead them toward Yang.
When investigators showed the footage to another employee at the dental office, the employee recognized the man as Yang, who worked as the office cleaner.
Investigators also said cellphone data connected to Yang placed the phone near the dental office around the time of the abduction, near the location where the victim’s vehicle was found and at the Target store where the dress was purchased.
Police later arrested Yang and searched his Isanti home. Authorities said they found items including zip ties, gloves, disposable masks and several firearms. The investigation also included assistance from other law enforcement agencies, according to Roseville police.
Yang denied the allegations during questioning
According to the criminal complaint, Yang initially told investigators he had been home on the night of the incident. When detectives showed him evidence indicating he had been at the Target store, he acknowledged making a purchase but said he had bought clothing for his daughter.
After investigators told him they believed the purchase was the dress connected to the investigation, Yang asked for an attorney and stopped answering questions.
Roseville Police Chief Erika Scheider said detectives worked around the clock and reviewed hundreds of hours of surveillance footage during the investigation. Authorities have also said they are examining whether Yang may have been involved in other incidents connected to the businesses where he worked as a cleaner.
Yang made his first court appearance Sept. 28. He remains jailed on $2.5 million bail, with another hearing scheduled for Oct. 2.
The charges are allegations, and Yang is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The investigation remains ongoing.
