A 64-year-old man residing in North Miami was arrested last Sunday in Hialeah after attempting to kidnap his 74-year-old ex-girlfriend in the parking lot of a church in Port St. Lucie, Florida, in an incident captured by the church's surveillance cameras.
José Tsu Zamora was arrested that same night by the Port St. Lucie Police and the U.S. Marshals following the attempted kidnapping at the church, without any resistance.
He is facing five felony charges and is being held in the St. Lucie County jail on a bond of $745,000.
The attack in the parking lot
The incident occurred on May 31 at 10:49 a.m. in the parking lot of the First United Methodist Church, located at 2600 Southwest Prima Vista Boulevard, in Port St. Lucie.
Zamora, who had a romantic relationship with the victim for several years, showed up at the location despite having an active restraining order that prohibited any contact with her.
According to Police Chief Leo Niemczyk, the accused was aware of the woman's habits and planned the attack with premeditation: “He came specifically here because he knew she would be there and approached her when she was getting out of her car to attend the religious service.”
The arrest report states that Zamora "wouldn't allow her to get away" and that, in front of several witnesses, he grabbed her, "placed an object against her and began pulling her toward his vehicle."
The surveillance cameras captured Zamora chasing the woman through the parking lot, grabbing her by the arms and dragging her towards his car while brandishing a pistol. The victim fell near a tree during the struggle.
Two citizens prevented the kidnapping
Two citizens who witnessed the scene immediately intervened, claimed to be armed, and ordered Zamora to let go of the woman.
Chief Niemczyk assessed their performance emphatically: "The courage they demonstrated helped to defuse a very dangerous and escalating situation. Had it not been for these brave citizens, the kidnapping would undoubtedly have been successful."
Zamora displayed his weapon in front of the two men before fleeing in his vehicle. The police used license plate readers to track his whereabouts to Hialeah.
A history of violence
The victim reported to the authorities that she had lived with Zamora for several years in Hollywood and Fort Pierce. In December 2025, she wanted him to leave the home because "he started to become aggressive," but Zamora did not leave until March 2026, when he was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm.
After that arrest, the victim obtained a restraining order in March 2026, which Zamora had already violated prior to the incident on May 31.
Chief Niemczyk revealed that the accused has "a significant violent criminal history that includes a prior attempted kidnapping" and that his intentions that Sunday were clear: "What I was told is that he said, if I can't have you, no one can. We believe his intention was very violent."
Zamora's family handed a pellet gun to the police, raising questions about whether the weapon used in the attack was real.
Chief Niemczyk was clear about it: "She had every reason to believe it was real."
Zamora's country of origin has not been confirmed by any official source; the media only identify him as a resident of North Miami.
The case prompted the Port St. Lucie Police Department to announce the creation of a specialized domestic violence unit within its criminal investigations division, as well as an increase in the budget allocated for victim advocates.
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