In the surveillance video released by police, the suspect is seen dragging a woman, while holding her in a chokehold, into a dark grey pickup truck in a parking lot in St. Augustine.
As the suspect opens the door of the truck and is about to shove the terrified woman inside, she is able to fight off her attacker and run out of the camera’s view.
The suspect is seen chasing after her before the video cuts off.
While the incident happened on June 29, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) released the video of the frightening ordeal on Tuesday.
Police said officers responded after a person who witnessed the incident called 911 at around 3:30 p.m.
“Deputies learned the male suspect committed a robbery inside the business, then forcefully removed a female employee from the store, and dragged her outside where he began to push her into his vehicle,” police said in a Facebook post.
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𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐍𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐓. 𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐀 On Sunday, June 29, 2025, at approximately 3:30pm, deputies were dispatched to a business at 1054 SR 206 East. A 911 caller advised a male subject was attempting to force a female inside a vehicle outside in the parking lot. Deputies learned the male suspect committed a robbery inside the business, then forcefully removed a female employee from the store, and dragged her outside where he began to push her into his vehicle. The victim fought her attacker and attracted the attention of a nearby citizen who came to her aid and called SJSO as the suspect abandoned his kidnapping attempt and fled. Florida Fish and Wildlife Officers (MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife) located the suspect driving recklessly near Marineland on A1A. The defendant fled from FWC but was subsequently captured. Theodore Michael Tundidor (31) was charged by SJSO detectives with kidnapping, robbery, and grand theft auto. FWC added additional charges for driving under the influence and fleeing and eluding law enforcement. The victim in this situation did everything right – scream/yell, fight, attract attention. 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝗝𝗦𝗢 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗩𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 (𝗪𝗔𝗩𝗘) 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀: ⋆ Observe and be aware of surroundings and people ⋆ Know your “Danger Zone”, the distance between people that can jeopardize personal safety ⋆ Trust your instincts and life experiences. If you think something is wrong, it usually is. ⋆ Get away / Create distance ⋆ Prepare for worst case scenario -mental rehearsal – learn from examples (like this incident) ⋆ Attitude, mental commitment, and preparation are keys to success WAVE is a SJSO initiative led by women law enforcement officers to educate women on threat awareness combined with basic self-defense techniques to respond to potential threats. To learn more visit: https://www.sjso.org/community-programs/crime-prevention/wave/
“The victim fought her attacker and attracted the attention of a nearby citizen who came to her aid and called SJSO as the suspect abandoned his kidnapping attempt and fled.”
Police said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) officers located the suspect “driving recklessly near Marineland” on State Road A1A.
He allegedly fled, but was subsequently captured, police said.
Theodore Michael Tundidor, 31, has been charged with with kidnapping, robbery, and grand theft auto.
The FWC have added additional charges for driving under the influence and fleeing and eluding law enforcement.
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Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.