Roseville police investigation leads to arrest and charges in kidnapping and assault case
Suspect was arrested on September 25, 2026
A suspect is in custody and charged with multiple felonies related to the armed kidnapping and assault of a woman which took place on September 23, 2026 in Roseville.
The criminal complaint revealed that the 27-year-old victim was abducted after leaving her workplace, a dental office just south of the railroad tracks near County Rd. C, west of E. Snelling Service Drive in Roseville, MN. The suspect was identified as Pao Yang, 41, of Isanti.
"For our community it was scary. How does this happen at 5 p.m. on a Wednesday evening in an area that a lot of people are around? And that's why we took it so seriously, because we knew that this was going to have an impact not only for the victim but for an entire community," Roseville Police Chief Erika Scheider said at a press conference on Sept. 28.
While the criminal complaint includes details about the victim’s experience, Roseville Police chose to focus on an overview of the investigation at the press conference.
“We're also going to be thoughtful about how we discuss the victim and what she experienced. The criminal complaint contains details that are part of the public record. We'll not repeat some of those details from this podium or answer questions about them. We believe this is appropriate with respect to the victim and what she went through,” said Deputy Chief Joe Adams.
The victim had just left her workplace around 5:00 p.m. on Sept. 23 when Yang, wearing a black mask and gloves, approached her with a handgun, according to the criminal complaint.
The complaint alleges that the victim was bound and taken to multiple locations, transported in her vehicle by Yang, threatened, and sexually assaulted. She was held for eight hours before eventually being let go on Wheelock Parkway near the Phalen Golf Course clubhouse. She walked to a Holiday gas station on Arcade Street where bystanders flagged down a police officer for help, according to the complaint. She then received medical treatment at Regions Hospital.
Police say the victim did not know the suspect, but he worked as an office cleaner at the dental office where the victim also worked, according to the criminal complaint.
When asked if Yang was stalking the victim, Scheider said detectives continue to investigate that.
Roseville police described it as a “complex investigation” which involved Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, the Department of Homeland Security, and other law enforcement agencies.
The investigation involved reviewing hundreds of hours of footage and data from surveillance cameras operated by businesses, residences, and law enforcement agencies.
Investigators discovered that the Ring camera on the southwest corner of the dental office had been tampered with.
“The cord from its solar panel had been cut, the battery housing had been opened, and the camera had been tilted upwards so it no longer covered the parking lot,” according to the complaint.
Automated License Plate Readers played a “significant role” in helping to identify the suspect and locate him, according to Scheider.
A break in the case came on the afternoon of Friday, September 25 when detectives were able to trace the clothing the victim was forced to wear back to a Target store in Blaine. Surveillance video showing the suspect at the store the night of Sept. 23 was used to identify the suspect, according to the complaint.
The RPD, with support from Ramsey County Apprehension and the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team, tracked the suspect to Saint Paul. Yang was arrested at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, September 25 in the area around Maryland and Rice Street.
“We literally put every available resource into this case and had so many investigative tools going in to solve it. I don’t know if I have the right words to tell people, other than, this thankfully does not happen that often, but it is also concerning that it did," said Scheider.
Yang was charged in Ramsey County District Court with six felony counts on the morning of September 28, 2026. He was charged with two counts of kidnapping, first-degree aggravated robbery, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, and two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
His bail was set at $2.5 million, according to Scheider.
“A crime like this is horrific. It’s almost unimaginable, and we can’t lose sight of that. Behind this case there’s a victim and a family who are profoundly impacted by what happened. Our thoughts remain with the victim and we’ll continue to do everything we can to support her,” Scheider said.
Scheider said that she can’t remember any other case similar to this in her 29 years with the Roseville Police Department. She emphasized that Roseville is a "really safe community."
“I’ve got a daughter who is a young adult. It is concerning. What I would say is, these are really infrequent. This is a really rare case, but I know that doesn’t bring anybody any comfort because it did happen,” said Scheider.
This investigation is ongoing.
