Police Release Surveillance Video of ‘Person of Interest’ in Philadelphia Abduction Case
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Philadelphia Police Department(PHILADELPHIA) — Philadelphia police released surveillance video Tuesday showing a man they called a “person of interest” in the abduction of Carlesha Freeland-Gaither.
The mystery man who police say they’d like to question is seen on a surveillance camera browsing the aisles of a convenience store, picking out a drink and a snack. He then pays for his purchases at the register and leaves.
From the surveillance video, authorities were able to capture two images of the man’s face, which is partially obscured by his black hoodie.
The new video was released one day after a man clad in dark clothing was seen using Freeland-Gaither’s bank card in Aberdeen, Maryland, about 70 miles south of Philadelphia. Police said they have surveillance video of the withdrawal and that it was made by a man wearing dark clothes.
Freeland-Gaither, 22, was grabbed off the street at 9:40 p.m. Sunday while walking in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia.
In a chilling video of the abduction, Freeland-Gaither is seen being wrestled down the sidewalk. She falls to the ground just outside her assailant’s car and then is seen being forced into his car, which police believe is a 2000-2002 gray Ford Taurus.
Police told ABC News Tuesday that there is footage from a second angle of the attack that they are analyzing for clues.
Witnesses said that after Freeland-Gaither was forced into the back of the car, they heard the car door shut and then heard breaking glass. Police believe the young woman kicked out the rear window of the car in her desperation. Her glasses and cell phone were found on the street.
The video that recorded the kidnapping also caught on tape a car that pulled up and stopped, pointing its headlights at the man struggling to get the abducted woman into his car, and then slowly backing away.
As Freeland-Gaither struggles with her attacker, a dark sedan is seen turning onto the street. The car stops, pauses, and then slowly backs up before the video ends.
Philadelphia police told ABC News that the driver was a witness and had been interviewed by police, along with a second person seen running in the video.
Anyone with information is being asked to call the Philadelphia Police Department’s Northwest Detective Division at 215-548-4756. On Monday, the Philadelphia Police Department also enlisted the FBI’s help to solve the case.
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