A Dorchester man was charged with attempted kidnapping early Sunday morning after he allegedly tried to force a woman into his car in downtown Boston.

Tony Santos, 31, was arrested on charges of attempting to commit a crime (kidnapping), assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, and speeding, according to a statement from Boston police. His bail was reportedly set at $7,500 Monday, and his attorney denied the allegations.

Bail for 31 y/o Tony Santos was set at $7500 with conditions. He does not have a record. His attorney says Santos had no intention of kidnapping the woman, he wanted to make sure she got home safely. #wcvb — Sera Congi (@seracongi) February 10, 2020

Officers first responded to a radio call for a person screaming around 3:19 a.m. near 39 Winchester St.

On arrival, they were approached by a woman who said two men had grabbed her and tried to force her into a vehicle, police said.


As they spoke to the woman, officers noticed a black vehicle with its engine running and driver’s door open in a parking lot across the street, police said. As they inspected the vehicle, a man ran toward the open door in spite of the officer’s orders for him to stop, according to authorities.

“The male then entered the vehicle and fled the parking lot onto Arlington Street,” police said in the statement. “The operator continued to flee from officers, violating numerous auto laws before coming to a stop inside a private lot on Warrenton Street. Officers exited their cruisers and approached the male who was identified and placed into custody.”

Meanwhile, the woman told police Santos was a mutual friend who had offered to drive her home from a birthday party at a local nightclub, officials said.

While she was in the backseat of his vehicle, she told him she wanted to leave, police said. She tried to exit, but he grabbed her and said that she was going to leave with him, according to authorities.

She again said she wanted to leave the vehicle and that she was going to call a ride share, but Santos grabbed her as she attempted to exit and pushed her against a brick wall, police allege.


“The victim stated a second male who was present during the altercation disagreed with the suspect and fled the scene,” officials said. “The victim stated she overheard the suspect tell the other male that he was going to grab the victim again, causing the victim to call police.”

Officer James Moccia, a police spokesperson, told Boston.com Monday authorities are still investigating the other man’s involvement in the incident.

Moccia said the birthday party the woman attended was at Venu, the nightclub Jassy Correia was at before she was allegedly kidnapped and killed nearly a year ago.

In the wake of two high-profile alleged kidnapping cases where victims disappeared after leaving bars or nightclubs, city officials released guidelines in December intended to help late-night establishments proactively address safety problems.

The 34-page document lays out a road map for how businesses can handle a host of issues, from underage drinking to sexual assault, and how employees can identify signs that something is amiss.