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Man Charged After Video Shows Attempted Kidnapping of 74-Year-Old Outside Port St. Lucie Church

Bystander intervention that stopped the attack led police to use license-plate reader data to locate and arrest the suspect

Overview

  • Surveillance video released by police shows Jose Zamora allegedly pulling a firearm and trying to force his 74-year-old ex-partner into a car outside the First United Methodist Church on Sunday morning.
  • Several witnesses intervened on scene and officers say their actions helped prevent the abduction and end the escalation of violence.
  • Zamora fled to Hialeah after the incident and investigators tracked his vehicle using automated license-plate readers before arresting him.
  • He is being held in the St. Lucie County Jail on $750,000 bond and faces charges including attempted kidnapping with a firearm while police say he is a convicted felon prohibited from possessing guns.
  • The victim reported pain but no visible injuries and had obtained a protective injunction in March after a prior weapons arrest, highlighting an ongoing history of aggressive behavior in the relationship.