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Two kidnap man in stolen U-Haul, police say

Two men kidnapped another man and drove him around Menlo Park and East Palo Alto in a stolen U-Haul van Thursday night, making stops at various stores and markets, forcing the man to withdraw cash and make other purchases, according to Menlo Park police.

After the victim asked someone at the Marsh Road Chevron station to call police, officers tracked down the van and conducted a "high-risk stop" on U.S. 101, police said.

The man told police he had been picked up by the two men in East Palo Alto earlier in the night, and had not been physically harmed, according to police.

The two arrested men are Vincent Hunter, 48, of Menlo Park, and Richard Williams, 59, of San Mateo. They were booked into San Mateo County Jail on suspicion of kidnapping with intent to extort, conspiracy, and possession of narcotics paraphernalia. Mr. Hunter, who had a felony warrant out for his arrest, received the additional charges of vehicle theft and destruction of evidence, police said.