On Monday, August 2, 2010, Duluth Police responded to the report that a 13 year old girl had been abducted in the area of 70th Avenue West and Raleigh Street. The girl told police that at about 3 p.m. she was out walking her dog when a white male in a light blue passenger car who she did not know pulled over and opened the hood and trunk as if he were having car problems.
After a brief conversation, the male grabbed the girl and forced her and her dog into the trunk of the car. She was then driven to a location just off of Highway 23 near the Spruce Trail entrance to Jay Cooke State Park. This area is about one mile south of the Mont Du Lac Recreation/Ski Area on Highway 23.
The girl was bound and gagged and eventually left in the woods alone by the suspect. The girl was able to loosen her hands and walked to a local business where the police were called.
The location where the girl was left was directly at the border of Douglas County Wisconsin and Carlton County, so numerous agencies were involved in the investigation. Those agencies include: the Carlton County Sheriff's Office, Douglas County Sheriff's Department, St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Superior Police Department, St. Louis County Attorney's Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Early today investigators were able to develop leads on a possible suspect and vehicle. At 1:21 p.m. this afternoon, police arrested Todd Richard Franik, age 41 of Duluth. He is being held at the St. Louis County Jail pending formal charges for Kidnapping and Criminal Sexual Conduct in the Second Degree. In an interview with authorities Franik admitted his involvement in the incident and items found both at the scene and in his vehicle confirm this.
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Police would like to commend the actions of the young victim in this case and recognize her courage, inner strength and endurance. Her attention to detail and thorough description enabled authorities to make an arrest in this case.
The investigation into this incident continues and no additional information available at this time.
~ Duluth police department press release
