Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk announced today that a suspect has been identified in the attempted kidnapping of a female jogger in Naples Park in 2020, bringing the investigation to a close.

DNA evidence recovered from the victim helped identify the suspect as Aaron Bradley Stein, 36, now deceased. 

“I am grateful for the diligent work of our detectives that led to the identification of the suspect,” Sheriff Rambosk said. “I also want to thank the public for providing the Collier County Sheriff’s Office with valuable information during the investigation.” 

Detectives said that on Nov. 10, 2020, a man attempted to kidnap a woman jogging in Naples Park. The woman was forced into a van where the man brandished a knife and threatened to cut the victim if she did not comply.  The victim was able to fight off the man and flee the van.  A composite of the suspect led to identifying four other incidents which occurred in the Naples Park area where it is believed the same male subject approached women who were jogging or walking in the community.

During the investigation detectives received over 200 leads, many of which were tips from the public. These leads ranged from information about the possible identification of the vehicle used to information about individuals who potentially matched the composite. Two of these tips identified Stein, who lived in North Fort Myers and worked in Collier County at the time of the attempted kidnapping, as a possible person of interest. Detectives followed up with these leads, but at the time were unable to lawfully and with evidence connect him to the attempted kidnapping. During the investigation it was learned that Stein had moved from Florida to Tennessee.

On Dec. 3, 2021, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement notified CCSO of a possible investigative lead. The notification indicated that during a search of the Combined DNA Index System, commonly known as CODIS, a match occurred between DNA swabs taken from the victim and DNA recovered by the FBI in Knoxville, Tenn. Detectives learned that the DNA recovered by the FBI matched Stein, who died in August of 2021. The results of the DNA match discovered in CODIS were later confirmed by additional analysis and testing conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Stein shot himself while being taken into custody by Tennessee law enforcement. He later died of his injury. He had been on the run after being identified as a suspect in a carjacking in Jefferson County, Tenn., in August 2021.