Cops: Woman's apparent abduction captured on video
PHILADELPHIA -- Police in Philadelphia have released dramatic video of a suspect apparently abducting a woman in the city's Germantown section Sunday night.
Twenty-two-year-old Carlesha Freeland-Gaither was last seen around 9:40 p.m. Sunday in the 100 block of West Coulter Street, reports CBS Philly. A witness said the woman was yelling for help as a man forced her into a dark-colored sedan.
Surveillance video released Monday by Philadelphia police shows a man driving down a street, parking his car and walking a short distance out of the camera's view, back towards the direction from which he came. He's then seen apparently chasing a woman across the street before grabbing her and forcing her down the block and into the car.
Police say the woman in the video is Freeland-Gaither. A witness told police he saw the woman yelling for help and being forced into the car, possibly a gray Ford Taurus. The witness said the woman's glasses and cell phone fell onto the road.
As the car drove away, the woman kicked out at least one of the car's rear windows. CBS Philly showed images of shattered glass on the roadway near the site where the woman was reportedly abducted.
Police say the car was last seen traveling west on Coulter Street towards Knox Street, reports CBS Philly.
"Please just send her back home," Freeland-Gaither's father told the station. "Just let my daughter go. Whatever you want, whatever you're asking for, I'll give it to you."
Police fear Freeland-Gaither may be in danger.
"What's most important is finding this young lady and hopefully finding her unharmed as soon as possible, that's our number one priority," Philadelphia police spokesman Lt. John Stanford told 48 Hours' Crimesider.
Philadelphia police are working with Pennsylvania state police and the FBI to find Freeland-Gaither, Stanford said. Officials haven't identified the suspect, and they're hoping someone will recognize the man or his car from the video and come forward.
Police believe the suspect may have been watching Freeland-Gaither, Stanford said. How long he may have been watching her before the abduction, however, is still unclear.
"You can clearly see from the video, he pulls ahead of her and was waiting her out," Stanford said. "He spotted her and had all eyes on her."
Because of the way the young woman is shown attempting to fight off the suspect- kicking out possibly two back windows of the car in the struggle -- police believe she didn't know her assailant.
"Based on how this young lady is fighting, it looks like she's fighting for her life," Stanford said.
Freeland-Gaither is described as a black female, five feet, three inches tall, 125 pounds with brown eyes. Police say she has braided hair and has a tattoo on her lower back, and was last seen wearing a light blue jean jacket, a gray and white sweater, carrying a black backpack.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Philadelphia Police. Tipsters in Philadelphia should call 911, and those outside of the city should call 215-686-TIPS.