Kidnapping Victim Saved in Wal-Mart, Passed Note Under Bathroom Stall to Employee

Kidnapping victim, Yulu Zhang, is safe after a scary ordeal in Northwest Arkansas. Zhang was able to escape her kidnappers by passing a note under a bathroom stall in the Bentonville Wal-Mart to an employee of the store.

KNWA reports, Zhang was leaving her home in Dallas, Texas, when two national guard members kidnapped her and transported her to Bentonville, Arkansas. One of the guard members was Zhang’s ex-boyfriend, 24-year-old Michael Lee Roberts. The other kidnapper was 21-year-old Alan Vance, a friend of Roberts. The pair allegedly came up behind Zhang as she was entering her Houston home and grabbed her by the throat and threw her down onto her bed. She says Roberts then placed his forearm on her mouth and told her she could either come with him or die.

KFSA notes that Zhang made numerous attempts to leave notes for help along the path to Bentonville. In fact, she left at least four notes total. When Zhang was taken from her home, Roberts told her to pack her belongings and leave a note for her roommate that she was going to China to visit family. She did as she was instructed, but secretly left a note on the fridge that said, “Call 9-1-1”. While still in Dallas, the trio stopped to eat Chinese food. Zhang used a makeup pen to write a note for help on the back of a napkin and left it at the table hoping someone would find it.

After leaving Dallas, they made their way to Eufaula, Oklahoma. Here they stopped at a convenience store. Zhang again left a note, this time with the kidnappers license plate number. This note was eventually found and turned into police, but not before the group made it to Bentonville, Arkansas. Once in Arkansas, Zhang was taken to Roberts’ local home in the city. Sunday, June 15, Zhang was brought to Wal-Mart where the rescue was finally made.

Zhang said she needed to use the restroom where she slipped a note asking for help to an employee, Carly Dodge. Dodge contacted the police and Zhang was rescued. Roberts and Vance were later found and arrested. The two are being charged with aggravated kidnapping, felony kidnapping, intimidating a witness, coercion, and conspiracy to commit murder.

This kidnapping victim was saved by good old fashion pen and paper. However, modern technology can also play a key role in saving kidnapping victims. Baby Victoria was saved by a simple Facebook post and four young heroes.