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UPDATE: Real Estate Agent Slammed Door On Registered Sex Offender; Suspect Arrested

ELK GROVE (CBS13) — A registered sex offender has been arrested in the kidnapping of a real estate agent in Elk Grove.

David Burnhart, 47, was arrested on Friday in Modesto. Police describe him as a Lodi resident with a significant criminal history.

"He's looking at several charges ranging from robbery, kidnapping, false imprisonment, terrorist threats," said Elk Grove Police spokesman Chris Trim

The Realtor came to show a model home to someone she thought was a potential buyer on Thursday, but police say she was instead was handcuffed and held captive by Burnhart. She was held captive for about an hour.

Police say Burnhart told the agent they were going to walk out of the home together. Instead, after Burnhart walked out, the agent slammed the door behind him and locked it. That's when he jumped in his truck and took off.

"The agent exited the home, flagged down a security officer who was passing by, and he transported her to a Walmart on Elk Grove Boulevard and we were notified,"Trim said.

According to state records, Burnhart is a registered sex offender for a charge of oral copulation.

Paula Swayne with the Sacramento Association of Realtors says the incident is a reminder of how dangerous showing homes can be. It was late last year when an Arkansas real estate agent was kidnapped and killed in a similar situation. When that happened, there was an immediate call for more safety for agents, including self-defense classes.

"If something feels wrong, listen to it," she said. "It's not worth your life to go do something because you're going to earn a commission, it's not worth it."

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