Police say surveillance footage and a clothing purchase helped investigators identify the 41-year-old suspect after an eight-hour abduction.
ROSEVILLE, MN — A 41-year-old Isanti man has been charged with six felonies after authorities accused him of kidnapping a woman at gunpoint outside her Roseville workplace, holding her captive for about eight hours and sexually assaulting her before releasing her in St. Paul.
Pao Yang was charged Monday in Ramsey County in connection with the Sept. 23 attack. Authorities said the charges include two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of kidnapping, along with additional felony charges related to the alleged robbery and assault. Yang was arrested Friday after an investigation that relied heavily on surveillance footage, cellphone information and evidence connected to clothing the woman was forced to wear, according to police and court records.
The woman was leaving a business near County Road C and East Snelling Service Drive at about 5 p.m. Wednesday when a masked man armed with a handgun confronted her, according to the criminal complaint and Roseville police. Prosecutors allege the attacker forced her into a nearby wooded area, restrained her and covered her eyes and mouth. He threatened to kill her if she resisted or called for help, according to the complaint.
Authorities said the attacker later returned and drove the woman away from the area. She was eventually taken to a location she believed was a warehouse, where prosecutors allege she was sexually assaulted. Police have described the woman’s captivity as lasting about eight hours. Investigators and officials have asked that unnecessary details of the assault not be publicized out of respect for the victim.
Roseville Police Chief Erika Scheider called the case deeply disturbing and said investigators devoted extensive resources to identifying a suspect. Detectives reviewed hundreds of hours of surveillance footage from businesses and other locations as they reconstructed movements connected to the abduction. Police also worked with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies during the investigation.
A significant break came when investigators traced clothing the woman had been forced to wear to a Target store in Blaine, authorities said. Surveillance footage from the store showed a man buying a small brown dress on the evening of the kidnapping. A co-worker of the victim later identified the man shown in the footage as Yang, who worked as a cleaner at the business where the woman worked, according to the criminal complaint.
Investigators also followed an Acura SUV seen on surveillance footage near the workplace. Court records say cellphone information placed Yang near the Roseville business around the time of the kidnapping and near the Blaine Target later that evening. Police said surveillance footage, license plate information and other evidence helped investigators track Yang as they worked to identify and locate the suspect.
Police arrested Yang on Friday. Investigators subsequently searched his Isanti residence and reported finding items they said were connected to the investigation, including firearms, masks, disposable gloves and zip ties similar to those allegedly used to restrain the woman. The complaint says Yang acknowledged working as an office cleaner at several businesses, including the victim’s workplace. The allegations contained in the complaint have not been proven in court.
The woman was ultimately released near the Phalen Park Golf Course area on St. Paul’s east side, according to court records. She made her way to a nearby gas station, where people helped her contact authorities. Police previously said she was taken to a hospital for treatment. Officials have not publicly identified her.
Authorities initially described the kidnapping as especially alarming because it occurred around 5 p.m. in a busy area. Scheider said Monday that cases involving someone apparently going about an ordinary day before becoming the victim of such a serious crime are rare and disturbing. Police said they had no previous contact with Yang and were continuing to investigate whether the woman was specifically targeted and whether other incidents could be connected to him.
Yang remained in custody after his first court appearance Monday. Bail was set at $2.5 million, according to local reports. The criminal case remains pending, and Yang is presumed innocent unless proved guilty in court.
Author note: Last updated September 29, 2026.