Woman kidnapped, sexually assaulted at gunpoint in west Modesto

The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department has arrested one man and is looking for two others in the kidnapping and sexual assault of a woman in west Modesto.

At around 2 a.m. Wednesday the woman was forced at gunpoint by three men into a silver station wagon in the area of Sutter and Rouse avenues, said Sgt. Tom Letras.

The men drove with her out into the country to North Dakota and Shoemake avenues. There, the woman manged to briefly escape and run from the men but they chased her down, Letras said.

They were sexually assaulting her when a passerby noticed a struggle near the station wagon and thought he heard someone yelling for help.

He called 911 and circled back to get a license plate on the station wagon, which scared off the suspects, Letras said.

Two of the men ran into a nearby orchard and one drove off in the station wagon.

Deputy Michael Wilson was responding to the scene when he saw the station wagon leaving the area and pulled it over.

Other deputies found the victim in the area where the assault occurred. Her purse was located in the station wagon, which was driven by Michael Francisco Ramos.

Ramos, 24, was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, false imprisonment, forced sexual penetration, assault with the intent to commit rape, attempted rape, robbery, conspiracy, criminal threats and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Letras said the woman did not know her assailants and that the attack appears to be random.

Detectives are working to identify the other two suspects.

Anyone with information about the case can call Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636. Tipsters can email through the Crime Stoppers website, stancrimetips.org.

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This story was originally published August 3, 2018 at 10:16 AM.