Arrest made, girl found following kidnapping at Powell Street BART station
SAN FRANCISCO – Authorities in San Francisco said they found a teenage girl and arrested a suspect following a reported kidnapping at the Powell Street station Tuesday night.
According to BART police, officers received a call around 8 p.m. of a man who removed a girl from the station by force and placed her into a vehicle. Police said surveillance cameras were able to capture the incident.
Following the incident, the teen's parents filed a missing person's report.
"This is totally out of the ordinary for BART. Incidents like this are extremely rare, and something we take seriously and respond to with our full resources," BART Police Chief Kevin Franklin told CBS News Bay Area.
The chief said that the victim was driven to San Francisco and was heading into the station when the incident took place.
Around 3 a.m. Wednesday, San Francisco police located the suspect and a vehicle associated with the case. The suspect, identified as 37-year-old Jamall Blue, was taken into custody.
The teen was also found early Wednesday, police said. She was referred to juvenile services.
Franklin said that it did not appear to be a random incident and that the suspect and victim "likely knew each other." The chief also commended the witness who came forward.
"I really would express my appreciation for a community member like that who's willing to come forward and say something, that something doesn't seem right here and let us know that we need to respond and help the person in this case," he said.
The incident remains under investigation.
According to the San Francisco Sheriff's Office, Blue is being held at the San Francisco County Jail without bail as of Wednesday.