Philadelphia Abduction: Carlesha Freeland-Gaither Snatched Off the Street, 22-Year-Old Missing (VIDEO)
A Philadelphia abduction caught on surveillance camera shows the frightening kidnapping of 22-year-old Carlesha Freeland-Gaither. The woman was walking home after a party in the Germantown district of the city Sunday night when an unknown assailant attacked her, chased her down when she ran and forced her into his car.
The Philadelphia abduction occurred at about 9:40 p.m. The video begins with the suspect pulling over in his car and parking. From there, the man, who was dressed in dark clothing, quickly crossed the street to where he saw the young woman walking. Freeland Gaither spotted him when he came too close and crossed the street to avoid him, but he gave chase.
The assailant grabbed and shoved the woman, and in the altercation she dropped her cell phone and glasses, which police later found. From there he pushed her to his car, and at one point, he even dragged her when she refused to walk.
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"Based on how this young lady is fighting, it looks like she's fighting for her life," Lieutenant John Stamford of the Philadelphia Police Department told CBS news.
Police said that Freeland-Gaither managed to break the window of the car before her kidnapper drove off. The glass is from an early 2000s model Ford Taurus, police told WTXF news.
The young woman's bank card was used by a man 6 a.m. Tuesday near Aberdeen, Maryland. Her family is begging for her back.
"Just return her to us, to her family," said her grandmother Ana Mulero. "We need her."
"I just want her home. She got family. She's loved. Just let her come home," her mother, Keisha Gaither, added. To her daughter she said "just fight. Don't give up. Just fight."
Freeland-Gaither was wearing a light blue jean jacket, a gray and white sweater, blue jeans and tan and green shoes. She is 5-foot-3, weighs 125 lbs, has brown eyes and braided hair. She also has a lower back tattoo, according to Fox News.
The suspect has been described as an African-American dressed in dark clothing, about 5-foot-10, had a medium-to-heavy build and is described as being between ages 25 and 30.
Anyone with information should call (215) 686-TIPS or (215) 686-3353. The FBI has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect, and on top of that, Philadelphia officials have offered another $17,000.
