A 63-year-old Fort Worth woman narrowly escaped being abducted outside a Dollar Tree store at Montgomery Plaza last week, and her family is now speaking out about the terrifying ordeal.
Eloise Montanez had just finished closing up the store when a man approached her from behind, covered her mouth and face, wrapped his arms around her legs and attempted to carry her away. Her husband had arrived to pick her up from work and witnessed the attack in progress. He rushed to intervene and the suspect fled the scene.
Montanez’s daughter Ana Cervantes said she became alarmed when her mother never called after her shift ended as planned. When Cervantes reached her by phone she learned her mother was already speaking with detectives.
Cervantes translated for her mother and described the moment of the attack. “She turns around and somebody comes behind her” Cervantes said. “Covered her face her mouth and wrapped his arm around her legs and tried to carry her.”
Fort Worth police arrested Johntay Burgess and charged him with attempted kidnapping along with additional charges including indecent exposure and assaulting a police officer. Burgess remained in jail as of the latest update.
Investigators believe the case may not be isolated. Authorities suspect Burgess could be connected to as many as two other attempted kidnappings that occurred in the area the previous month including one reported outside a Salsa Limón restaurant the day before the attack on Montanez. A Tarrant County grand jury has already indicted Burgess in connection with at least one of those prior incidents according to court documents.
Cervantes said her mother was visibly shaken in the immediate aftermath of the attack. She described her mother as scared and confused about what had just happened to her.
The family expressed gratitude that Montanez was not seriously harmed but made clear they want to see full accountability for what took place. Cervantes questioned how many more women would have to go through similar experiences before stronger action was taken.
The Montgomery Plaza area is a busy commercial district in Fort Worth frequented by shoppers and workers throughout the day and evening. The incident has raised concerns about safety for employees working late shifts at retail locations in the area.
NBC DFW reached out to an attorney listed for Burgess seeking comment but had not received a response at the time of the latest report. The investigation remains active as Fort Worth police continue to examine the suspected connections between the multiple attempted kidnapping cases attributed to Burgess.
