A local check cashing business owner thwarted his own kidnapping during a carjacking Friday morning, June 18 that left him with only a scraped knee and a bump on his head. His car, a black BMW 525i was taken during the incident but later recovered.

Baltazar Servin, 74, owner of Servin Services on East G Street, said he had just gotten out of his car in the business parking lot around 10:50 a.m. Friday morning. As he was walking, he was approached in the lot by an unknown white male, around 40, with short reddish hair and a beard.

Servin said he didn’t recognize the man as a client, but the man asked if he was the owner of “the check cashing business.”

Servin, who speaks mainly Spanish, said the man then simulated a gun in his waistband and told him in English to get back into the car.

Servin refused and the man again acted like he had a gun and then in Spanish told Servin to give him the keys to the BMW and repeated to get back in the car.

When the man took a step toward him, Servin swung a heavy bag at the man’s arm as it moved to his waist.

Servin said the man then punched him on the side of his head and wrapped his arms around him to drag him back toward the BMW.

At that time, Servin called out to a known customer he saw on East G Street to call the police.

The suspect threw Servin to the ground and ripped the BMW car key from his grasp.

Servin said he ran to a neighboring business to call the police and last saw the man driving away with the BMW.

“Police were here within five minutes,” Servin said through his daughter translating.

Servin displayed a severe scrape to his left knee that he said was a result of being thrown to the ground. He said he didn’t need immediate medical treatment at the time for the scrape or the bump on his head from being punched.

Oakdale Police immediately broadcast the information and had all units in the area checking for the fleeing vehicle, but nothing was located at that time.

Servin said that night his daughter was contacted by friend and asked why their car was on Stearns Road and Warnerville.
Police were contacted and the vehicle was recovered.

Over the weekend, Servin said friends in the area of Stearns Road that work at a dairy told him they had seen the vehicle parked there as early as noon on Friday.

Police ask that anyone with information about the incident or suspect to call Detective Rockford Anderson at (209) 847-2231.