A Wenatchee man is accused of numerous crimes, including kidnapping, after he offered a 12-year-old girl a ride home but then forbade her from getting out of his car.

According to police, 41-year-old Omar Christopher Harding offered the girl a ride on the afternoon of August 4 after she knocked on the window of his car while it was parked on Princeton Street.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Harding bought the girl a bottle of water at Walgreens on Miller Street and then stopped at a nearby AutoZone.

He then drove the girl to her home after she told him she lived near the library, according to court documents.

The girl said Harding drove past the library and when she reached for her cell phone, she took it and placed it on the ground near his feet.

According to the affidavit, he ignored the girl’s request to be let out, then pulled out a box cutter and placed it on the side of her neck.

The girl reacted, grabbed Harding’s knife and stabbed him in the leg.

According to the girl’s statement, while she was still driving, Harding grabbed her with his hand and began to strangle her.

According to the affidavit, the girl said she pushed him away but was then able to unlock the door and jump out of the car onto the street.

The girl said she ran to a woman standing nearby and asked for help. She said the woman then called 911.

The girl later told police that she was unable to take her cell phone or other items with her when she escaped from the car.

Omar was found four days later, on August 8. He was questioned at the Wenatchee Police Station before being arrested and taken to the Chelan County Jail.

The prosecution charged him on Tuesday with second-degree kidnapping, two counts of second-degree assault and one count each of first-degree theft and serious harassment.

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Omar’s bail was set at $500,000.

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