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Video: Creepy New Footage Shows Victims Of Possible Washington Heights Abduction
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 31, 2013
Modified Mar 31, 2013
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 31, 2013
Modified Mar 31, 2013
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Yesterday, police released surveillance footage of two people and a minivan involved in a possible abduction in upper Manhattan on Friday. Now the NYPD has released more footage, showing the possible victims.
The video shows a man and a woman walking West on 173rd Street, turning onto Haven Avenue in Washington Heights, on Friday just before 7 p.m. Then, after they leave the frame, you see two men running in their direction, as well as a minivan apparently involved in the chase (going the north on Haven Avenue, which is one-way going south). There's a housing facility for Columbia dental students at the intersection.
The female victim is seen wearing a long white coat and dark pants, while the male victim is wearing all dark clothing. According to the Post, the woman had been "lugging two heavy bags 'strapped around her like a bandolier'" and "Moments before the unidentified couple vanished, they were seen 'looking behind them and acting nervous,' sources said." Two girls who heard the screaming and saw the couple get dragged into the minivan called the police.
The Post's source added, "There’s something in those bags," and suspect there may have been drugs, "It’s very possible the abductors took their stuff and dropped them off nearby and [they] took the loss... Or we have two bodies somewhere."
A woman who saw the minivan before the kidnapping say one of the occupants was wearing a ski mask that "covered everything except his eyes" and told the Post that it looked like he was trying to 'spy on someone... He was sneaking over to the park and looked over the wall and across the street."
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
Tagged
abduction
Washington Heights
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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