Tequesta police investigate kidnapping, robbery at shopping plaza

TEQUESTA — Village police want the public's help in tracking down a man and woman suspected of kidnapping and robbing another woman Tuesday afternoon at a U.S. 1 shopping plaza.

The victim told police a man approached her while she shopped at the Dollar Tree store at the Tequesta Shoppes Plaza in the 100 block of U.S. 1 North.

The man asked the woman for help regarding an immigration issue, police said. While they talked, another woman walked by and pretended to overhear the conversation and offered to help as well. The three exited the store and got into the female suspect's car.

The female suspect got into the driver's seat and the man got into the rear passenger seat, directly behind the victim. Once inside, the female suspect locked the doors and the man held a knife to the victim's side and demanded money and jewelry, police said.

The victim was taken to Jupiter and released unharmed.

Police described one of the suspects as a Hispanic male, 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall with a thin-to-medium build. He is believed to be in his late 20s and has short, close-cut hair on the sides and dark curly hair on the top.

He was wearing a short-sleeve buttoned shirt that was blue in color and plaid in style. He was also wearing blue-jean-type pants with black dress shoes.

The other suspect is a Hispanic female, 5 feet 4 inches with a medium build. She is believed to be in her mid-30s. She has light-brown eyes and brown, medium-length hair with blonde highlights.

The woman has freckles on her checks and may be pregnant, police said. She was wearing blue-jean pants and a blue floral blouse. She also had a large ring on her middle finger with orange stones.