Woman Kidnapped In Philadelphia Found Alive In Maryland
PHILADELPHIA (CBSNewYork) -- A woman who was kidnapped on the streets of Philadelphia has been found alive in Maryland, and a man with her has been taken into custody, police and the FBI said Wednesday night.
As CBS2's Tony Aiello reported, Carlesha Freeland-Gaither, 22, was talking with investigators Wednesday. She had suffered a minor injury, Philadelphia FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Edward Hanko said at a news conference.
"Right from the night of the kidnapping, the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI had been working tirelessly to try to solve this case. With the help of the media and many citizens who called in tips, we were able to identify this individual, identify his car, and track it to Maryland," Hanko said. "Tonight, we surveilled that vehicle in the area of Jessup, Maryland."
A task force of agents from the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives found the car with Freeland-Gaither inside, and arrested the man now accused of kidnapping her, Hanko said.
Delvin Barnes, 37, was expected to be charged federally with the kidnapping, Barnes said. He was being held on a warrant out of Virginia on charges of attempted capital murder, assault, and malicious injury with acid, explosives or fire, Hanko said.
Freeland-Gaither has spoken to her mother, who said at the news conference that she would go to Maryland to pick her up. Freeland-Gaither suffered a minor injury and was hospitalized, Hanko said.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey called Barnes a "vicious predator," and said Barnes should be put in jail for the rest of his life if convicted.
Surveillance video showed a knife-wielding man abducting Freeland-Gaither on West Coulter Street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. The woman kicks and screams, but cannot get away as he wrestles her into his car.
An eyewitness who did not want to show his face called 911, police said. He had been walking on the opposite side of the street when he heard her scream.
"(She said) 'Help, help me,' and I turned around. I just started running up," he said. "I called the cops as I'm like, 'Yo,' screaming, 'Stop! Stop! Stop!' He's dragging her to the car."
He said her abductor had a large knife. Investigators said as she was forced into the car, her glasses and cellphone were dropped onto the road.
On Tuesday, morning, surveillance video showed a man using her ATM card in Aberdeen, Maryland – possibly at a PNC Bank, authorities said.
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