Photo: Racine Police Department
A 79-year-old woman managed to escape after a Wisconsin man linked to the deaths of two women kidnapped her.
Authorities said that the victim was at a restaurant when she was approached by Timothy Luther Olson Jr., who identified himself as Mario. He asked if she wanted to join him for a drink, and she declined.
When the woman left the restaurant, Olson was waiting in the parking lot and got into the passenger side of her vehicle. He told her he had a gun and instructed her to drive.
He stole her credit card, which he used to make $270 in fraudulent purchases, and her cell phone. He also made her drive to an ATM to take out cash.
After several hours, the woman managed to flag down a passerby while parked in a strip mall parking lot. Olson fled before officers arrived, but they tracked him down and took him into custody a few days later following a brief struggle.
He was charged with kidnapping, misappropriating ID information to obtain money, two counts of burglary, and resisting a police officer. He is being held on a $100,000 bond. If he does post his bond and is released, he will be barred from going to establishments that serve alcohol, possessing firearms, and using dating apps.
Olson has numerous warrants out for his arrest and is also the subject of several criminal investigations. Police accused him of using dating apps to prey on women. In three instances, women reported they fell unconscious during a date with Olson and were robbed. He is also under investigation in the deaths of two women.