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Lancaster man arrested in Topanga mall kidnapping, rape

by The AV Times Staff • July 12, 2013

On July 8, the LAPD released these surveillance images asking for the publics help to  identify a kidnap/sexual assault suspect for incidents that occurred in the LAPD’s Topanga Area. Lancaster resident Kioki Ray Snowden has been identified and arrested. (Courtesy LAPD)
On July 8, the LAPD released these surveillance images asking for the public’s help to identify a kidnap/sexual assault suspect for incidents that occurred in the LAPD’s Topanga Area. Lancaster resident Kioki Ray Snowden has since been identified and arrested. (Courtesy LAPD)

LOS ANGELES – A 18-year-old Lancaster man has been arrested in connection with the July 4th kidnapping and rape of a woman attacked while leaving work at the Westfield Topanga Mall.

Kioki Ray Snowden was taken into custody Thursday for kidnapping and rape after police recovered evidence at Snowden’s home, authorities said.

According to a Los Angeles Police Department news release:

On July 4, 2013, around 5:30 p.m., a 19-year-old female victim was leaving her job at the Westfield Topanga Mall.  As she stood near her car in the parking lot, the suspect approached her.

The suspect was described as an African American male in his early 20s standing around 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 140 to 160 pounds.  The suspect is also described as having a fit build.

The suspect, armed with a knife, forced the victim into her car at knifepoint and held her hostage for about three hours.  During this time, the suspect directed her to drive him around to multiple locations in the San Fernando Valley, Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles areas.

The suspect stole property from the victim and also gained access to her bank account through her ATM card.  During the time that she was held, she was also sexually assaulted by the suspect.

Earlier this week, the LAPD released surveillance photos of the suspect and asked for the public’s help in solving the case.

“On July 11, 2013, after a week of intensive investigation, Robbery Homicide Division detectives have identified and arrested [18-year-old] Kioki Ray Snowden of Lancaster for kidnapping and rape,” the LAPD announced Friday morning.

Detectives served a warrant at Snowden’s residence where evidence was recovered, the news release states.

Snowden was taken into custody with bail set at $1 million, and the case will be filed with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office on Monday, according to the LAPD.

Anyone with information concerning this crime is urged to contact, 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).

Edited note: A previous version of this story had an incorrect age for Kioki Ray Snowden.

–

Filed Under: Crime/ Safety

17 comments for "Lancaster man arrested in Topanga mall kidnapping, rape"

  1. Notagain says

    July 17, 2013 at 7:03 pm

    THIS IS OUTRAGE!! BUT YU SHO DON’T SEE ME MAKING IT A RACE ISSUE!! JUST GLAD HE GOT CAUGHT!!!

  2. Palmdale's Finest Hour says

    July 17, 2013 at 5:49 pm

    1 million dollars is excessive bail.

    • T Smith says

      July 23, 2013 at 3:02 pm

      You’ve got to be f’ing kidding me! How would you like to be attacked and raped at gunpoint? This loser should be put away for life. Bail is not high enough!!

  3. Rooney says

    July 15, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    I’m so sorry for this poor woman. I pray she heals quickly.

    I also hope that this ~!@#$ has the book thrown at him and he gets the same treatment in prison that he gave her. It’s where he belongs!!

  4. Resa Gonzalez says

    July 13, 2013 at 1:54 am

    Prayers and good thoughts for this woman and her family. What a horrible and disgusting thing for her to have to live with. There are some horrible things I could wish on the individual who did this but I can’t.

  5. Notagain says

    July 12, 2013 at 10:02 pm

    OMG!!! AV NEWS PAPER, HOPE NO ONES TRY’S AN SUE YOU GUYS FOR DOING YOUR JOB!!! GLAD HE GOT CAUGHT AN OFF THE STREETS! KEEP SAYING THAT THE AV HOUSES TOO MANY CRIMINALS!!!

  6. soapbox journal says

    July 12, 2013 at 9:48 pm

    guess what he isn’t an illegal alien he is home grown,

    • justbeingreal says

      July 13, 2013 at 8:30 am

      And that makes it OK ????

      • Notagain says

        July 13, 2013 at 11:52 am

        Made in the USA! 

    • tiredoftheirways says

      July 14, 2013 at 7:08 am

      Just goes to show you, trash comes in all shapes, sizes and color, legal or illegal, trash is trash and that’s all he will ever be!!

  7. MR. PERPLEXED says

    July 12, 2013 at 4:51 pm

    AAAWWW!! OUR HOMEGROWN CRIMINALS ARE BRANCHING OUT!!
    AND YES HE IS ALL OVER THE NEWS NETWORKS!!
    I BET MR. ANTHONY MITCHELL IS JEALOUS BECAUSE HE ONLY MADE
    TO THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA.

  8. Mr. Mister says

    July 12, 2013 at 3:58 pm

    WOW! I saw this story on TV a few times on a few different channels. Glad they got this scum! Great work! Now if only we didn’t have to pay for his hospitality for however long he is put away for…

    • Uncle Tom says

      July 13, 2013 at 9:03 am

      On one hand people wish the guy this guy would have threatened LEO in some way that would justify shooting him and removing him from society. On the other hand doing so would bring out the ‘racism’ band of brothers screaming we are killing their youth, etc, etc. But these same people will just STFU and not claim ownership of this same criminal or try to defend him when it will not help their ‘movement’.

      No work on what ethnicity the victim was Perhaps it was not the same ethnicity as this criminal. Maybe these same ‘civic rights’ groups could choose to defend the victim saying it was a racially motivated crime, that the victim was targeted because of their skin color. Fat chance of that though.

      • SoSickofExcuses says

        July 15, 2013 at 5:32 pm

        My guess is another b on b crime, therefore, very little outrage or condescending race remarks against the guy. I wonder if this was a targeted victim or crime of opportunity and he convinced himself that the victim wanted him. She was a lucky girl to escape a stranger abduction.

        • OPENurEYES says

          July 15, 2013 at 9:17 pm

          I’m so glad he wasn’t wearing a HOODIE!

          • SoSickofExcuses says

            July 15, 2013 at 9:40 pm

            Why would that have mattered? He assaulted an innocent girl not a full grown man. I bet if the girl had a gun she would have shot him. I know I would have!

          • OPENurEYES says

            July 15, 2013 at 10:00 pm

            I guess my comment flew right over you.

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