Man kidnapped and robbed

Chestermere Mounties are searching for an older model red Chevy Astro van or similar make with its back seats removed after a man claimed he was kidnapped and robbed Sunday night.
Just after midnight, police say the man was walking from a Westmere subdivision residence to a convenience store when the red van pulled up and three masked men jumped out, hauled him into the back where he was restrained and beaten severely, said Chestermere RCMP Sgt. Art Pittman.
The man was then robbed of his personal belongings before being driven to a remote area and dumped off.
A person passing by picked him up and called police.
The man was admitted to Peter Lougheed Hospital and was bleeding from his ears with substantial injuries to his hands, but was released hours later, Pittman said. After several interviews, the man still hasn’t been able to identify his assailants.
“He certainly wasn’t in great shape and we’re treating this as a very serious matter. It’s a fairly significant offence,” Pittman said, adding police think the attack wasn’t random, but aren’t ruling that out.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
-neil.mackinnon@metronews.ca