Man arrested for attempted kidnapping near SU campus

SALISBURY, Md. – An investigation is underway following an attempted kidnapping near Salisbury University’s campus last week.

During the early afternoon hours of February 11th, police responded to the Fruitland McDonalds to meet with a victim following a reported attempted kidnapping in the Avery Street Parking Lot. The 18-year-old victim told police that she was walking to her vehicle in the parking lot when an unknown man was following her. She opened her car door and heard footsteps running up behind her, at which point the man reportedly ran up behind her and grabbed her around her upper arms. The victim reported that the man tried to pull her out of her vehicle and she dove into the passenger side of the vehicle facing the man. He allegedly began hitting the victim around the right side of her face and head.

The victim was on the phone with her mother as the attack took place, yelling for help. When the man released the phone was on, he took the phone, turned it off, and threw it. The victim then reported that she hit and kicked the man with her arms and legs before he ran away.

The man was reportedly wearing a “neck gator” style face covering initially but pulled it down to tell the victim that he was helping her and not trying to hurt her. The victim discovered blood on her driver’s side door panel that was not hers and a small dot of possible blood on the left sleeve of her hoodie that was also not her blood.

After the suspect ran away, the victim drove to the Fruitland McDonalds and called her parents back.

Officers were able to obtain surveillance footage of the victim and suspect in the Avery Street lot, at which point one of the officers recognized the suspect as someone he had just spoken with behind Acme approximately a half mile from where the incident took place.

Officers then responded to HALO, located immediately behind Acme, to find the suspect, identified as 30-year-old Kendall Sneade Jr. Police say Sneade was now wearing a different jacket than in the surveillance footage, but the same shoes and black pants. Sneade’s original clothing was found in the dumpster behind Acme that he was seen wearing in the surveillance in the Avery Street lot.

Snead was charged with kidnapping and first and second degree assault.