A man has been arrested and appeared in court Tuesday in Oakland to face a gun charge, but investigators say that he tried to force a woman he didn't know into prostitution earlier this month.

The 56-year-old man, who has not been publicly identified, was arrested in recent days and a search of his car yielded a weapon he was not legally able to possess, police say. As the East Bay Times reports, a woman has accused the man of kidnapping her at gunpoint on March 3 after she got into his car in Oakland, mistaking it for her Uber ride.

The woman alleges that she was driven to Modesto, and held captive over a two-day period in which the man posted online ads to traffic her, and purchased a see-through mesh dress for her to wear.

The man then allegedly drove the woman to "a high prostitution area in Oakland," and told her to go "earn" several hundred dollars from soliciting sex.

It's unclear how the woman escaped, but it appears she escaped before the sex work began.

According to authorities, the woman sent an "SOS" message to a food delivery app — UberEats? — while she was being held captive, and never received a response.

The 56-year-old suspect has not been charged with trafficking, however he was charged with being a felon in possession of a handgun — due to four prior felony convictions between 1996 and 98.

He was released on his own recognizance before an arraignment Tuesday, and it's unclear if more charges are forthcoming.

This is a developing story.

Top image: Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images