Woman arrested for attempted kidnapping at SLO Target store

An attempted kidnapping suspect turned herself in to SLO Police on Wednesday after she was shown on television newscasts walking out of a Target on Los Osos Valley Road.

San Luis Obispo Police arrested Rosemary Osorioloaiza, 50, on attempted kidnapping charges after an incident at the Target store on Los Osos Valley Road in San Luis Obispo.

After footage was shown of her leaving the store on Wednesday evening television newscasts, Osorioloaiza walked into a San Luis Obispo County sheriffs substation in Los Osos. Deputies then contacted SLO Police. Osorioloaiza agreed to go to the police station where she was arrested after questioning.

Police said Osorioloaiza approached a man and his 3-year-old son near the food court inside Target, put her hand out, took the child’s hand, and began to walk toward the exit. The father quickly intervened.

“She only got a couple steps, father confronted her, said hey what are you doing, she briefly mumbled something that he was not able to determine what she said and then continued to walk out of the Target store. We were contacted and we took a report and right now we’re treating it as an attempted kidnapping,” said Captain Jeff Smith with the San Luis Obispo Police Department.

The father told police that the woman appeared “unusual” and “nonchalant.”

“We haven’t had a lot of these calls, it’s unknown if this individual was trying to take the kid or suffers from mental illness, confusion, dementia , hings like that,” said Capt. Smith.

The incident rattled other parents in the area near the store.

“It’s terrifying, we live in such a small community where most people know each other. Things just don’t happen like that here,” said Hayley Foerst, a concerned San Luis Obispo mother.

When Forest usually goes shopping with her family, she let’s her son walk around pick stuff out. But when she heard that a woman allegedly tried to lure a three-year-old out of her neighborhood Target Tuesday afternoon, it was time for a new game plan.

“He’s the exact same age too,” said Foerst, shaking her head in disbelief.

Going forward, her son will be bucked up

“He’s going to be in the cart watching movies and not leave our side,” said Forest.

The terrifying ordeal, reigniting the importance of having a “stranger danger” talk with your kids.

“If someone approaches them, always making sure they’re getting a hold of mom and dad, keeping young children in close proximity where you have visual contact,” said Capt. Smith.

It’s a mindset that parents like Foerst, have already adopted. “Definitely changes my perspective going forward, going shopping with our our son,” she said.

Officials praising this SLO father for doing the right thing and taking control of this scary situation.

“The child appeared to be no more than two to three feet from the dad, he was in close proximity to the dad and the dad was watching the child and just going up confronting, asking what can you do and taking control of your child is the best thing he could’ve done,” said Smith.

Anyone who might have information about the incident is urged to call the SLO Police Watch Commander at 781-7313.