Kidnapping of Philadelphia Woman Caught on Tape [Video]
A shocking surveillance video shows how a Philadelphia woman was kidnapped. Police released the video in an attempt to bring more witnesses forward and they have interviewed other witnesses present at the scene. They have also revealed a new clue in the search for the missing woman.
The kidnapping happened Sunday night at around 9:40 p.m. when 22-year-old Carlesha Freeland-Gaither in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood, according to CNN, a few blocks from her home. In the black and white surveillance video a sedan can be seen arriving and an African-American man around 25-years-old wearing a black hooded sweatshirt exits.
The man accosts Freeland-Gaither and begins dragging her on the sidewalk towards the car. As they approach the car, the victim wrestles with the assailant but is pushed into the car. Police believe she kicked out one of the car’s rear windows. The four-door car has been described as a grey Ford Taurus.
However, according to ABC News, police have uncovered a new lead. Tuesday morning the victim’s bankcard was used in Aberdeen, Maryland to withdraw cash. Police viewed a surveillance tape, which shows a man wearing dark clothes.
The Associated Press reports her parents had begun posting flyers around the Germantown neighborhood Monday morning and groups on social media have begun rallying in support of the family.
"It's devastating to watch that video. You see him pull up. He's so calm," Keisha Gaither, Freeland-Gaither’s mother, told the Philadelphia Daily News. "I see him dragging my daughter. I see him hitting my daughter. You can see the way it looks like he was setting her up, it looks like something that was planned."
“I can tell you one thing, she's a fighter. She was not just giving up. She wasn't just going to be taken," she added. "She's going to keep fighting to the end. She's coming back to me."
The video shows a car entering the street and stopping behind the assailant’s car and the backing away. It also shows a person running. Police has interviewed both of these people, ABC News reports. The FBI has also joined in the investigation.
Philadelphia mayor, Michael Nutter, approved a $10,000 reward for information. The local chapter of the Fraternal Order of the Police has also pledged a $5,000 reward. The FBI has also pledged $25,000.
Watch the surveillance footage:
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