Amber Alert: 16-year-old girl abducted off NYC street in front of mother by gang of four men
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Police in New York City are searching for a group of men who were caught on camera kidnapping a teenage girl off a street in the Melrose section of the Bronx, as she was walking with her mom. The police have issued an Amber Alert for 16-year-old Karol Sanchez.
The incident took place on December 16, in the vicinity of East 156 Street and Eagle Avenue in South Bronx, with surveillance video released by the NYPD Crimestoppers capturing the moment the men grabbed Sanchez off the street.
The men get out of a beige four-door sedan that parks next to Sanchez and her mother and grab the teen as rain poured down. The 36-year-old mom desperately tries to fight back but is pushed away as her daughter is forced into their vehicle.
There were two men inside the vehicle, which quickly flees eastward on the street and out of the camera's view. The mother, who was left at the scene, was not injured and is said to have refused medical attention.
Authorities said Sanchez did not know her kidnappers, and an urgent search for the 16-year-old is currently underway. They have described her as being 5'5" tall, 150 lbs, with short black hair and brown eyes. She was reportedly last seen wearing a dark blue short jacket, white sweater, blue jeans, and black sneakers.
The suspects wanted in her kidnapping were described as four adult males in their 20s with dark complexions. All were wearing dark clothing.
Anyone with information on Sanchez's disappearance has been advised to contact the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577 TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
They can also submit tips by visiting the CrimeStoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or by messaging on Twitter @NYPDTips.