Prosecutors Probe Avignon McDonald’s Abduction as Possible Mistaken Identity

Overview

• The teenager was taken from a drive-through in a commercial area south of Avignon during the night of February 21–22 by at least three masked, armed men.
• He was released a few hours later on the side of a national road about 10 kilometers from the city, lightly injured after blows to the head and robbed of his belongings.
• Residents near the drop-off point sheltered the victim before he received medical attention.
• The Avignon prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation for kidnapping, unlawful detention and aggravated violence, and no suspects have been arrested.
• Investigators are analyzing surveillance footage to identify the attackers and the intended target, with local reports noting one assailant may have carried a Kalashnikov.