The woman used a stop at the White Oak store to flee a vehicle before an employee helped her avoid being found, police said.
WHITE OAK, Pa. — A stop at a Dollar Tree became a woman’s chance to escape an alleged kidnapping when she fled a vehicle and a store employee helped her stay out of sight until police arrived, according to a criminal complaint and local reports.
The woman told investigators she had been trapped in a vehicle driven by 46-year-old Marcus Render, a man she had previously dated. Police said she entered his vehicle while he was showing her a picture, but Render allegedly sped away, refused to let her leave and threatened to sexually assault her. The opportunity to get away came after Render stopped at the White Oak store and went inside.
The woman left the vehicle while Render was away from it and tried to conceal herself near the business, according to police accounts. Authorities responding to the Dollar Tree later found her hiding near the store. Local reports said an employee recognized that the woman appeared to be in danger and helped prevent her location from being disclosed while police were summoned.
The employee’s role became a key part of the reported sequence because the woman remained close to the place where she had escaped. The woman had told the worker that if someone came looking for her, the employee should not reveal where she had gone, according to an account of the criminal complaint. Police ultimately reached the area and made contact with the woman.
The woman then described what she said had happened before the escape. She told police she and Render had gone on a previous date and that she entered his vehicle Sunday after he arrived where she was staying. Once she was inside, she said, he drove away and would not allow her to get out. She also accused him of threatening sexual contact against her wishes.
Investigators reviewed messages exchanged after the woman got away. Police said Render characterized his actions in the messages as joking and indicated that he would have let the woman leave if he had realized she was frightened. Investigators included the communications in their examination of the woman’s account.
Officers later found Render at his home and arrested him. The criminal complaint says Render confirmed that he and the woman had previously dated but disputed the accusations about what happened in his vehicle. The allegations remain accusations and have not been proven in court.
Render was being held in the Allegheny County Jail following his arrest. His preliminary hearing was scheduled for Oct. 26, according to local court reporting. That proceeding is expected to determine whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence for the case to continue beyond its initial stage.
The case also drew attention to the brief intervention at the store, where an ordinary stop during the alleged encounter gave the woman an opening to leave the vehicle. Authorities have not released the woman’s name, and no additional public information about the employee’s identity or any further court developments had been confirmed as of Tuesday.
Author note: Last updated October 13, 2026.