By Dave Clark (contact)

Published Tue, Jan 6, 2009 (2:47 p.m.)

Updated Wed, Jan 7, 2009 (9:17 a.m.)

Henderson Police say an attempted sexual assault of a woman was foiled on Saturday after an officer stopped a suspicious vehicle traveling into a desert area near Horizon Ridge Parkway and Gibson Road.

The driver, 56-year-old Frank Blackburn, has been charged with kidnapping, attempted sexual assault, assault with a deadly weapon and possession of dangerous drugs without a prescription. He was being held in the Henderson Detention Center on $370,000 bail.

Blackburn is scheduled to appear in Henderson Justice Court at 9 a.m. Monday.

According to a police report, Officer Camille Tsitsinakis saw a woman in the vehicle mouth the words “Help me” and followed the car into a desert area near Horizon Ridge Parkway and Gibson Road.

She stopped the car and, according to the police report, multiple knives a loaded pistol, zip ties, and 11 pills in an Altoid tin, including sedatives and muscle relaxants, were found.

The 42-year-old victim told police she met Blackburn at Danny’s Slot Country off Boulder Highway. He offered to buy her drinks, and she agreed to head to another bar with him in his car.

After the woman turned her head to light a cigarette, she said, a knife was put to her throat and she was ordered her to stay calm or be hurt. Then, she said, a zip tie was put over her head and the headrest, and she was told she would be shot if she tried to run.

She said she was told she would be taken to a secluded place, where her assailant would “do whatever I want for as long as I want you to.” He also told her he would give her some pills to relax, she said.

Later, she said, he began fondling her before they pulled into a desert area, where the police car approached them and she caught the attention of Tsitsinakis.

Tsitsinakis told another officer she followed the Mercury Grand Marquis, because it was being driven in a desert area for no apparent reason.

Once Blackburn was ordered out of his vehicle, Tsitsinakis said she noticed several knives in plain view. Tsitsinakis and other officers then located other weapons and several condoms.

According to the declaration, Blackburn told Tsitsinakis he was going to the water tower area to enjoy a great view of the city.

Henderson Police Chief Jutta Chambers, speaking to state legislators at a briefing Tuesday, referred to the officer’s actions and said they were made possible by a tax increase initiative that allowed the city to hire more police officers.

“Those kind of things wouldn’t have happened two to three years ago because our officers were so busy,” Chambers said. “They didn’t have the time to do that type of patrol.”

Dave Clark can be reached at 990-2677 or dave.clark@hbcpub.com. Jeremy Twitchell contributed to this story.