Female victim rescued after kidnapping in Pomona; armed man, 19, arrested, police say

POMONA, Calif. (KABC) -- A kidnapping victim was rescued and an armed man was arrested during a traffic stop Thursday evening in Pomona, authorities said.

Multiple 911 callers reported a female "screaming and begging for help" about 7 p.m. as a man with a gun forced her into a pickup truck in the 300 block of McKinley Avenue, the Pomona Police Department said in a statement.

Officers responded and spotted the vehicle as it was fleeing the scene, police said. The Toyota Tacoma was pulled over about 1/2 mile away, in the area of Orange Grove and White avenues.

"The female victim was seen lying in the back seat. However, officers could not tell if she was injured," the news release said. The driver, later identified as 19-year-old Rashad Shell of Los Angeles, "refused to comply with officers' commands to exit the vehicle," the statement said.

An armored police vehicle was summoned to the location, where it was used to prevent Shell from escaping, according to authorities. After several minutes of negotiation, officers approached the truck and the suspect was arrested without incident.

The female victim was treated by paramedics at the scene. Her age was not disclosed.

Investigators found a loaded firearm and several rounds of ammunition in the vehicle "within close reach of the suspect," police said.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Pomona police at (909) 620-2085 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.