Search Underway For Kidnap Suspect In Westlake District Following Officer-Involved Shooting
WESTLAKE (CBSLA.com) — Authorities said Sunday they were looking for a kidnap suspect in the Westlake district following reports of a woman being abducted.
Neighbors said they heard a woman screaming "help" about 3:30 Sunday morning in the 1300 block of Ingraham Street, near Witmer.
Even though the woman was in a moving SUV, neighbors said the woman was screaming for her life and audible enough to be heard by people in their apartments.
Ramon Carillo told KCAL9's Cristy Fajardo the woman was clearly very scared.
"She was pretty loud," Carillo said.
Several neighbors called 911. By this time the car was parked.
Police arrived and found the woman in the back seat of the SUV with the suspect.
Authorities told the man to open the door but he refused.
Believing the woman was under attack police acted.
"They broke the windows on the driver's side of the vehicle in an attempt to rescue the victim," says LAPD Sgt. Barry Montgomery. "After that, that's when the officer-involved shooting occurred."
Neighbors said they heard two shots as the SUV sped away with the woman still inside.
Police said she escaped from the SUV a block away from where the alleged abduction took place and is being treated in the hospital. She's reportedly in stable condition. She was not hit by gunfire.
The kidnap suspect -- a man in his 20s or 30s -- is still at large. Police said the victim and suspect were apparently strangers.
There was no word if the suspect was injured in the officer-involved shooting.
