Man follows woman home from Target, tries to nab her: Cops
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Inset: Joshua York (Greene County Jail). Background: Target in Springfield, Missouri, where York allegedly started following and later tried to kidnap a woman (Google Maps).

A man is now in custody following a chilling incident at a Target store in Missouri, where he allegedly attempted to kidnap a woman after following her home. Authorities have identified the suspect as 30-year-old Joshua York, who now faces charges of second-degree kidnapping, stalking, and endangering the welfare of a child, according to court documents.

The unsettling encounter began on October 15, when the victim and her 2-year-old son entered a Target in Springfield around 1:30 p.m. York, who was already inside the store, reportedly noticed the woman and began to trail her movements, as detailed in a probable cause affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime.

After completing her shopping, the woman left the store, got into her car, and drove home, unaware that York was allegedly following her vehicle. Upon reaching her apartment complex, she started unloading groceries while her son remained asleep in the car. On her final trip, she took her son from the car and was suddenly struck by an uneasy sense, prompting her to glance behind.

To her alarm, York was reportedly crouched behind a nearby vehicle. As he began approaching, the woman confronted him, shouting, “What are you doing?” According to the affidavit, York then allegedly seized her and attempted to pull her towards the parking area. In a desperate bid to protect herself and her child, the woman screamed loudly and fought back, all while holding onto her son. York is said to have pushed them both to the ground before fleeing the scene.

York started walking toward her and the victim yelled, “What are you doing?” the affidavit said. He then grabbed her and pulled her toward the parking lot, cops wrote. The woman said she started to scream “like a mad woman” and fought back while holding her son. He allegedly pushed her and her son to the ground before running away.

A witness who was driving in the parking lot heard a “bloody murder scream.” She got out of her car to investigate and saw a man running from where the scream came from. She then saw the man hop into his SUV and speed off. A neighbor said he heard a scream and grabbed his gun before going outside to see what was going on, cops wrote. He saw the victim and her son on the ground. She pointed at the SUV that was fleeing the scene.

Surveillance video captured the license plate and the man who later stopped at a gas pump. He was wearing a shirt for JY Executive Auto Detailing, a business that he owns, per cops.

York was arrested on Thursday. In an interview with detectives, he allegedly claimed he was at Target and sparked a conversation with the victim, telling her “she was cute.” He said the woman invited him to her apartment but once they arrived, she changed her mind and asked him to leave.

This upset York, who then demanded $20 from her. When she refused, she started screaming, York claimed. He then left.

Cops say York was previously accused of harassing an ex-girlfriend and was accused by another girlfriend of having a woman’s underwear under his bed.

The suspect is in the Greene County Jail without bond.

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