By Shari Kaplan
Los Gatos parking officer Karen Julie Sanchez, accused of attempting to kidnap a 16-year-old girl near Los Gatos High School, was scheduled to return to court June 24.
Sanchez, 43, of Cupertino, did not enter a plea at her June 19 arraignment, when a judge set her bail at $500,000. Following a brief stay at Valley Medical Center's Emergency Psychiatric Services for evaluation, she was being held at the County Correctional Center for Women in Milpitas.
She was scheduled to return to court Monday with her private attorney; a Municipal Court employee predicted she would be released on her own recognizance that day.
Sanchez has been a town employee for three years, working as a civilian parking control officer for the Los Gatos Police Department.
Police said a Los Gatos High student identified Sanchez as the woman who approached her near campus about 10:45 p.m. June 14 and attempted to persuade, then force, her into a vehicle.
Notified of the case by the LGPD, Sanchez came to the department voluntarily to talk with investigators. She was off-duty when the alleged incident took place, police said.
She was taken into custody over that weekend.
"She seemed to be a little emotionally unstable or distraught," said LGPD Sgt. Tricia Friedrich, who added she was not aware of Sanchez having any history of mental problems.
Upon her release from EPS, Sanchez was booked at the county jail on felony charges of attempted kidnapping and terrorist threats to police officers--she had allegedly made threatening statements to her two arresting officers. She was also booked on the misdemeanor charge of annoying a child under 18 years of age.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, June 26, 1996.
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