Kidnapped woman who escaped was targeted, police say

December 03, 2010|by Channel 2 News Staff

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Anchorage police say a woman who was kidnapped in Spenard but escaped earlier this week was specifically targeted, and that the search for her abductors continues.

APD spokesperson Lt. Dave Parker says the 22-year-old woman was headed to her vehicle after visiting a friend in the Spenard area Tuesday night when two masked men approached her, then dragged her into a vehicle.

She was taken to an unknown location with a bag over her head and was held overnight, but was able to escape Wednesday when she put back into the van and it stopped in traffic.

“She basically seized an opportunity and was able to get the sliding door of the van opened and she jumped from the vehicle and ran to safety,” said APD Sgt. Ken McCoy.

The woman was able to run into a business in the area of West 25th Avenue shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday, with her hands still bound and duct tape on her mouth.

“She showed up at the business and was able to get the duct tape off,” McCoy said, “But the officers that responded actually had to get her free of the bindings that were around her wrist. They were on her pretty good.”

Police say when she was abducted, the woman was driven around for about 15 minutes before being taken to an unknown location where she was bound and restrained for the night.

“So far everything in our investigation is consistent with what’s being reported to us,” McCoy said, “As it stands right now, everything she’s told us, we’ve been able to corroborate.”

Police say that the suspects drove a late model gray or light gold mini van, and that one of the suspects is a white male, perhaps in his thirties. Officials add that the suspects are unknown to the victim.

“It's very unusual for us to have a situation involving someone actually being abducted off the streets by people who are unknown to them, for someone to orchestrate something of this magnitude, to where they're actually prepared with bindings, bags, where it seems like it's a planned attack. It's very rare for us,” McCoy said.

APD says it's withholding some information for investigative purposes, but is hoping that someone who may have seen the woman leap from the vehicle or be abducted will call police with information.

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