Washington girl thrown in trunk called for help

YAKIMA — A 15-year-old girl on her way to school Monday was kidnapped by four masked teenage boys armed with a gun who put her in the trunk of a car, law enforcement officers said. But the girl had her cellphone, called for help and identified one of the abductors as an ex-boyfriend, police said. The Yakima Herald-Republic reports that three boys later got out of the car, leaving her with the ex-boyfriend. According to court documents, he discussed the possibility of being killed by police and “taking her with him.” The Washington State Patrol stopped the stolen car about two hours later on Highway 410 near Bumping Lake in the Cascade Range. The driver surrendered without incident, and the girl was not harmed, officers said. Four boys who attend Highland High School appeared Tuesday in Yakima County Juvenile Court, where a judge set bail at $250,000 each. Judge Robert Lawrence-Berrey rejected defense lawyers’ pleas to reduce the bail, citing the seriousness of the alleged crime and evidence that all four threatened the girl.