FERNDALE, Mich. – A woman and her 12-year-old daughter have been rescued after they were carjacked and kidnapped by gunman and terrorized for hours.
Ferndale police received a report from a Ferndale Business woman that she believed her sister and niece were kidnapped after leaving her business at about 6:30 Thursday evening. Shortly after the couple drove away, the reporting woman received a phone call from her sister.
Her sister sounded scared and told her to meet her with $200 in the parking lot of the Foodland Store in Ferndale. Before arriving with the money, the woman received another call from her sister (victim) changing the location to the area of Livernois and Davidson in Detroit.
When the woman went to Detroit, she was eventually instructed to follow her sister's car to a remote area, get out of the car, and give her money. She did this, and could see that her sister was scared.
The 12-year-old girl was in the car. In the back seat of the victim's car was a man who could not be seen through the tinted windows. He was ordering the victim woman what to do. After the money exchange, the victim drove quickly away.
The complainant reported to Ferndale Police. The police contacted the phone company and began getting coordinates of the victim's cell phone. While doing this, the victim phoned again. She said she needed her sister to meet her with more money and gave another location in Detroit.
Ferndale police were being kept informed of the cell phone location and a Ferndale officer spotted the vehicle. Ferndale notified DPD and MSP and all jurisdictions sent officers to respond. Police were then able to rescue the woman and her daughter, and the suspect fled on foot. Detroit Officers chased him and found him hiding in a basement on Phillip street.
During the kidnapping event, the armed gunman forced the 45 year old victim mother to cooperate by holding the 12-year-old girl as a hostage. At one point, the suspect carjacked another car in Detroit, and forced the victims into the newly stolen vehicle. Later, they returned to the woman's car in got back into it.
The suspect is in custody of Detroit Police.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig spoke about this carjacking/abduction during a news conference Friday morning.
"We had a carjacking/kidnapping last night. I think the things that I want to point out, one that the mother and child who were abducted and sexually assaulted are safe now, but I must say it was our uniform officers and relentless follow-up that were able to bring the suspect into custody without incident," said Craig.
The chief said the suspect was armed with a gun.
"Here's an important facet: The suspect was armed with a gun, he had custody of this girl -- I think she was 11 years old -- and it was during this situation in which the officers used a great deal of restraint. Certainly the officers had the ability to use deadly force, but they thought first about their background -- background meaning that child because that suspect had custody of that child. We were able to bring that suspect into custody again without incident and certainly the mom and daughter are in safe hands right now."
Craig said this is an example of the good being done by Detroit police officers.
"I wanted to bring this out because it was another illustration of the great work our men and women are doing out in the field every day. Not some days, but every single day," he said.