Trial begins in Riverside woman’s abduction-ransom

Riverside news headline provided by the Riverside County District Attorney:

On March 21, 2007, the victim came home from her job and was getting ready to head out for an afternoon class. She saw a man outside the door of her Riverside home in a mail delivery uniform holding a letter, so she opened the door to sign for the letter.

Based on the evidence in this case, Mark Herbert Warren (pictured) then attacked and overpowered the victim using a stun gun to subdue her as she struggled to get free. He then handcuffed her. Warren pulled his van into the victim’s garage, went back inside, further restrained the victim and covered her head with a hood. He then photographed the victim and left copies for her husband to find.

Warren carried the victim to the van and placed her inside a box, a casket-like box he had specially constructed for the kidnapping.

(The box is seen at right.)

The victim remained inside the box, fully restrained and blinded by the hood for an estimated seven hours. During this time, Warren had the victim call her husband and tell him to go home, which he did. Once there, the victim’s husband found the photos and a multiple-page ransom letter.

In the letter, Warren demanded the victim’s husband pay $140,000 for her safe return. Warren also told the victim that he would come back and get her children if her husband did not pay the ransom.

Ultimately, Warren was arrested after a good Samaritan spotted a suspicious van outside her home and called law enforcement. (Her rescue is pictured below.) A deputy arrived, contacted Warren and rescued the victim from the box in the back of the van.

Warren has been charged with kidnap for ransom, burglary and assault with a deadly weapon. He also has been charged with 10 counts of identity theft for a series of crimes committed in January 2006.