Man Arrested After Multi-City Kidnapping and Assault in Orange County

A man was taken into custody Sunday evening following a violent kidnapping and assault incident that spanned several cities in Orange County, authorities announced.

The Fullerton Police Department reported that the sequence began shortly after 4 a.m., when officers responded to a 911 call in the area of South Acacia Avenue and Dawns Way in Fullerton. The caller, a woman, told dispatchers that a man she knew was attacking both her and another man. Dispatchers heard a struggle before the call abruptly ended.

Upon arrival, officers spoke with a man at the scene who said he had been assaulted by Charles Hernandez, 42. According to investigators, Hernandez then forcibly abducted the woman and fled with her in his vehicle.

Further investigation revealed the incident started in Anaheim, where Hernandez allegedly approached the woman and the man as they sat in a parked car. Hernandez reportedly began striking the vehicle, leading the pair to attempt to drive away toward police for help. Police said that Hernandez pursued them, intentionally ramming their car several times, eventually forcing them onto a residential cul-de-sac in Fullerton, where confrontation escalated.

Authorities stated that at the cul-de-sac, Hernandez threatened the male victim with a firearm and demanded his wallet. The man defended himself with a hammer. Hernandez then swung a metal sign at the man before turning his attention to the woman, seizing her phone and forcing her into his car.

About an hour later, officers found Hernandez’s vehicle on the 57 Freeway near Ball Road in Anaheim. Police reported that Hernandez fled the car on foot across the freeway, prompting a brief closure as officers searched the area. The woman was located unharmed inside the vehicle and, along with the initial male victim, was evaluated and released after treatment for injuries, according to Fullerton Police spokesperson Kristy Wells.

Detectives located Hernandez in Newport Beach and arrested him at about 5:30 p.m. He has been booked on suspicion of kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, felony vandalism, and domestic violence.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not released further details.