A man exploited his familiarity with a dental office where he was employed to abduct an employee, then assaulted and threatened her, according to Minnesota law‑enforcement officials.
Pao Yang, 41, faces charges of kidnapping to commit great bodily harm or terrorize, kidnapping to facilitate a felony or flight, second‑degree assault with a dangerous weapon, first‑degree aggravated robbery, and first‑degree criminal sexual conduct.
Records indicate that authorities arrested and booked him at the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center.
On Wednesday at approximately 5 p.m., a 27‑year‑old woman left her shift at a dental office in Roseville, Minnesota, a city northeast of Minneapolis. Unbeknownst to her, a Ring camera on the building had been tilted upward, its cord severed, and an individual was allegedly waiting in the parking lot.
The woman was “confronted by a man dressed in a black mask” and gloves, brandishing a black gun, according to a statement of probable cause. The man,identified as Yang,demanded her vehicle, ordered her to walk to nearby woods, wrapped tape around her face, zip‑tied her hands, and confiscated her phone and wallet.
Approximately fifteen minutes later, Yang forced the woman into a vehicle and drove for more than an hour to a warehouse, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her. He claimed he was “just doing his job” and asserted he would deliver her to “people who would decide what to do with her,” the court document states.
Yang then transported the victim to a location where he compelled her to shower and dress in a garment he had purchased that day, law‑enforcement reports. He subsequently drove her to another site, telling her he “liked killing women” and claiming he had killed women in Morocco, as detailed in the probable‑cause statement.
The suspect also allegedly photographed the victim’s identification, warned that he “knew where her family lived, and he would kill them if she called police,” and claimed he had “recorded the rape and sent the video to ‘his people’ who would post it on social media.”
When Yang approached a golf course, he “let” the victim out of the vehicle and instructed her to walk while looking downward, the probable‑cause statement records.
The woman stopped at a gas station, where patrons assisted her. She received medical care at a hospital, and the following day police met her at her workplace to review the incident.
Investigators discovered that the Ring camera outside the office had been tampered with. On Friday, the woman provided a screenshot of the dress the suspect forced her to wear; analysis confirmed the dress originated from Target.
Employees at the specific Target store identified the purchase as occurring at approximately 9:50 p.m. on the night of the attack. Surveillance footage captured Yang’s “distinctive gait and balding hairline,” authorities reported.
When investigators showed the Target video to another dental‑office employee, the staff member recognized the individual as Yang, “the office cleaner.” Review of the office’s surveillance footage confirmed Yang as the suspect.
A phone linked to Yang was located at the dental office at the time of the abduction, in the area where the victim’s stolen vehicle was found, and at Target when the dress was purchased. Authorities arrested Yang on Friday night.
Police searched Yang’s residence and reportedly recovered black disposable face masks, black nitrile gloves, a Kimber 9 mm handgun, a Glock 19 handgun, an AR‑style rifle, and orange zip ties.
Yang told investigators that he worked as a cleaner at five separate businesses, “including a dental office in Roseville,” according to the probable‑cause statement. Although he initially claimed to have been home on the night in question, investigators presented evidence of his presence at Target; he then alleged he had bought a shirt for his daughter.
Police refuted his claim, stating he had not purchased a shirt but a brown dress, and Yang subsequently requested counsel.
Yang is scheduled to appear in court for a hearing on October 2.
Leave a Reply