1 Charged In Abduction Of Girl From Philadelphia School
By Elizabeth Hur, Todd Quinones and Tim Jimenez
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Philadelphia police say charges have been filed against one person they questioned Thursday in connection with the abduction of a 5-year-old girl from her West Philadelphia school last month.
Authorities filed charges against 19-year-old Christina Regusters, who was first questioned in this case last week, but was brought back again Thursday for another round. Sources say she is not cooperating, but they have forensic evidence that gave investigators the break they needed.
Regusters is now facing 14 charges, 11 of them felony charges, including rape, kidnapping, assault and conspiracy charges.
This arrest would not be possible without the young girl's help, according to Special Victims Unit Captain John Darby.
"This five-year-old child, accompanied by her mother, were in that neighborhood with investigators from Special Victims Unit, taking our direction one step at a time," he said.
Police say they don't have a motive yet, but they do know Regusters works at a nearby daycare where the little girl goes after school.
Earlier Thursday, four people were escorted by detectives in Cobbs Creek and were questioned at Special Victims Unit (see related story). After hours of questioning, police sources said they believed Regusters is the woman seen in surveillance video posing as the girl's mother and kidnapping her on January 14th.
Sources say earlier in the day Thursday, police picked up the 19-year-old from her aunt's house in the 6200-block of Walton Avenue. Her aunt, her aunt's boyfriend and a 15-year-old, who is the cousin of Regusters, were also brought in for questioning.
Investigators searched the basement of the home and removed a tropical bird they say could be a key to this whole case because sources say the little girl told investigators there was a talking bird inside the home where she was kept. Authorities say this is the same home the 5-year-old led investigators to as the place she was held captive.
Police say Regusters is the only suspect charged so far. The three others who were questioned were not charged, but police say the investigation is not over yet.
