ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — An 18-year-old is being praised for fighting off a man who deputies say tried to kidnap her outside a St. Johns County smoke shop where she worked.
Emma Marine said her parents always taught her to fight back — and that’s exactly what she did.
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The attempted kidnapping happened on June 29 outside the 206 Smoke Shop on State Road 206. Surveillance video captured Marine’s chilling screams as she was dragged through the parking lot in broad daylight.
Marine said she and her sister were working at the store when they noticed a man — later identified as 31-year-old Theodore Tundidor — stealing items. She confronted him as he tried to leave.
“He said, ‘What are you going to do about it?’” Marine said, “Then he just pushed me out the door, put me in a chokehold and dragged me out to the truck and tried shoving me in.”
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Marine said her instincts kicked in.
“I was terrified that he was going to hurt me,” she said.“Just never be quiet. Always fight back no matter what. Like kick, scream — all of it. It will do justice.”
Authorities said a bystander witnessed the struggle and called 911.
“I’m at the smoke shop on 206 and there’s a lady being attacked,” the caller told dispatchers.
Soon after, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers spotted Tundidor driving recklessly along A1A near Marineland.
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Tundidor is now facing multiple charges, including attempted kidnapping, robbery, auto theft, DUI, and trying to run from law enforcement.
Marine told Action News Jax she initially tried to block the theft because she was afraid she’d get fired or be held responsible for the stolen items. She and her sister were later laid off as a result of the incident.
Despite the trauma, Marine says she’s grateful to be alive — and thankful for the woman who called 911.
“The world is a scary place,” she said. “So you never can let your guard down and always watch around you.”
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