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Woman's kidnapping calls attention to rising rates of car thefts in Bay Area

By KTVU Staff
Published  January 13, 2024 9:52am PST
Crime and Public Safety
KTVU FOX 2

Car thefts rising in Bay Area: A disturbing trend.

A renewed attention is being called towards the rising car thefts in the Bay Area after a woman was kidnapped during a carjacking in San Jose.

UPDATE

SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose authorities have said a woman who went missing in the early hours of Saturday from a possible kidnapping has been safely located. 

Acela Pineda Silva, 31, first went missing when she was a passenger in a car allegedly stolen by a group around 2 a.m. near North Fifth Street and St. John Street. 

According to authorities, Acela was found just after 3 p.m. after she was brought to the San Jose Police Department by a good Samaritan who saw the missing person reports.

Vehicle thefts continue to rise throughout the Bay Area. Auto thefts rose 44% in Oakland in 2023 from the year before and in San Francisco, car thefts rose 64% per 100,000 residents over the last five years. San Jose police say car thefts increased 12.3% from January to June 2022 to the same six-month period in 2023. 

"At this time, the investigation is still ongoing and the motive and circumstances surrounding the events are still under investigation. We can confirm Acela is safe and that the secondary suspect is still outstanding. Our detectives are working diligently to identify and locate the remaining suspect," said police.

ORIGINAL STORY

San Jose police were looking for a 31-year-old woman who was a passenger in a car that was allegedly stolen by a group of suspects early Saturday morning.

The stolen car has been located but Acela Pineda Silva had not been found, police said. She was described by police as a "Hispanic female with long black hair, approximately 5’09" tall and 150 lbs."

She was last seen wearing a black sweater and black skirt, officials said.

The suspected kidnapping happened at 2 a.m. at North Fifth and St. John Streets, police said. It's unclear how many people were involved.

The suspect was described as a "dark-skinned adult male," around 40 years old, 5 feet and 5 inches and of medium build. He was last seen wearing dark pants and possibly a Raiders jacket.

"The victim did not leave willingly," police said. "The vehicle has been located but one of the suspects and the victim are still unaccounted for."

Anyone with information about Acela's whereabouts is asked to contact the San Jose Police Department at (408) 537-1522.