Man accused of trying to kidnap women calls it ‘pranks,’ California officials say

An 18-year-old man who pleaded no contest to trying to kidnap two women told authorities the incidents were just pranks, California prosecutors reported.

Charges in a third related incident were dropped, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release sent to McClatchy News.

Royhil Kumar Lakhan of East San Mateo will be sentenced July 8, prosecutors said.

His defense attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the case.

A 40-year-old woman and her 4-year-old child were outside a San Mateo home when Lakhan got out of an SUV holding what appeared to be a gun and wearing a ski mask at about 10 a.m. Oct. 13, prosecutors said.

He grabbed her arm and told her repeatedly in Spanish to come with him, but the woman screamed and he fled, prosecutors said.

At about 10 a.m. Oct. 27, Lakhan drove up to a 24-year-old woman jogging in Hillsborough and gestured at her with an apparent handgun, prosecutors said.

At 3:30 p.m. Nov. 2, Lakhan pulled up next to a pregnant woman, brandished what seemed to be a handgun, and ordered her to get in his SUV and perform a sex act, prosecutors said.

The woman screamed and bystanders got Lakhan’s license plate number as he drove away, prosecutors said.

Police later arrested Lakhan and discovered the gun was a replica, prosecutors said. They said Lakhan told authorities he was just “pranking women.”

Lakhan pleaded no contest to two charges of attempted kidnapping on Tuesday, May 6, prosecutors said.

San Mateo is about a 20-mile drive south from San Francisco.

This story was originally published May 8, 2025 at 12:03 PM with the headline "Man accused of trying to kidnap women calls it ‘pranks,’ California officials say."