Aggravated Kidnapping Charge Example Case in California

In People v. Dominguez (2006) 39 Cal.4th 1141, the court found substantial evidence supported the aggravated kidnapping charge. There, the defendant forced the victim from the side of the road to a location in an orchard 25 feet away and 10 to 12 feet below the level of the road, "where it was unlikely any passing driver would see her." (Dominguez, supra, 39 Cal.4th at p. 1153.) The court found that moving the victim from a relatively open area next to the road to a more secluded location "substantially decreased the possibility of detection, escape or rescue" and "substantially increased her risk of harm." (Id. at pp. 1153, 1154.)