A man was arrested Monday night and faces a kidnapping charge in the disappearance of a college student who may have been abducted while talking to her boyfriend on her cell phone, police said.
Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., 50, was arrested in Crookston, Minn., where he lives, and was being held in the Tri-County Correctional Center, Grand Forks police said. He has a history of sexual contact and attempted kidnapping with adult females, a Minnesota Department of Corrections Web site said.
The missing student, Dru Sjodin–last seen Nov. 22–has still not been found.
Sjodin, of Pequot Lakes, Minn., disappeared after she left her job at the Columbia Mall in Grand Forks, about 30 miles from Crookston. Her car was found in the mall parking lot.
Soon after Sjodin disappeared, her boyfriend, Chris Lang, called the student’s roommate, saying he had received two calls. The first was cut off and Lang heard Sjodin say, “Oh, my God,” before the phone went dead. A second call a couple of hours later was only static and the sound of numbers being pressed.
The case has drawn more than 1,300 volunteers to search the area. Also, about 30 FBI agents, along with investigators from three states and Canada were involved. A $140,000 reward was offered. Police said a search for Sjodin was continuing.
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Compiled from RedEye news services and edited by Patrick Olsen (polsen@tribune.com) and Drew Sottardi (dsottardi@tribune.com)
