Deputies: 73-year-old woman kidnapped by Los Banos teens who sought help

A 73-year-old woman who opened her door to two Los Banos teens was kidnapped and left in rural Fresno County without being harmed, the Merced County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.

The woman, whose name was not released, found the 15- and 16-year-old boys at her door Sunday morning when they knocked and asked for help, Detective-Sgt. Chuck Hale said.

The teens, described by the sheriff’s office as gang members, had stolen a car earlier Sunday in order to make their way to the Sacramento area, but the car became stuck in the mud, Hale said.

Upon asking for help, the teens forced the woman into her car and drove away in her Hyundai Tuscan. They later forced her out of the car and abandoned her in rural Fresno County, deputies said.

The woman used her cellphone to call for help and eventually made her way to Dos Palos, where sheriff’s investigators took over the case.

Deputies said the woman was not physically injured.

Deputies tracked the two suspects back to Los Banos. The 15-year-old was arrested Monday at his home in Los Banos. The 16-year-old suspect was arrested Tuesday during a traffic stop on Mercy Springs Road, deputies said.

Hale said both suspects admitted to their roles in the case.

The woman’s car was found near the 16-year-old suspect’s home, Hale said. It was seized for evidence.

The suspects were booked into the Merced County Juvenile Detention Center on suspicion of kidnapping and carjacking.

Hale praised the work of the sheriff’s detectives, and the work of lead investigators Rafeal Chavez and Adam Deniz, who both work out of the sheriff’s Los Banos substation.

This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Deputies: 73-year-old woman kidnapped by Los Banos teens who sought help."