Teen rescued after being kidnapped near bus stop, suspect arrested
By Jack Springgate
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HAMTRAMCK, Michigan (WWJ) — Hamtramck police say it only took them 30 minutes to find a kidnapping suspect and rescue the teen who was with him on Monday morning.
Police say the armed abduction happened while the 16-year-old was on their way to the bus stop just after 7 a.m. Monday.
The department’s lead detective said tips from community members came in almost immediately, leading officers to find the teen and the suspect together at a gas station about two and a half miles from the area of Edwin and Brombach, where we learned the crime initially happened.
Surveillance and body cam video show the teen and the suspect make their way out of the suspect’s vehicle.
Speeding up the video, it took officers roughly 90 seconds to close in on the suspect at this Sunoco station on the corner of Conant and Nevada.
That’s where police say they safely recovered the teen, all after the abduction police say happened while the teen was walking to their bus stop.
Following the arrest, police realized how critical their fast response was and how much danger this teen was in.
“It was a criminal with a history of rape charges, and we will make sure he gets what he deserves,” said Hamtramck Mayor Adam Alharbi.
Hamtramck Police Chief Hussein Farhat says the teen and the suspect didn’t have any connection to each other before this, and it was random in nature.
“This appears to be an isolated incident, and there is not believed to be continued threats to the community,” he said.
The student’s school, Frontier International Academy, confirmed that the kidnapping did not occur on school grounds and that student safety is its highest priority.
“We are grateful to report that the student has been safely recovered and is currently with family. Law enforcement acted swiftly, and a suspect is in custody,” the school said.
Farhat shared his message for anyone planning on carrying out crimes in Hamtramck.
“The message is going to be clear to any criminal out there, we are very hospitable here in Hamtramck, but if you come here and try to break the law, we will get you, as we got you today before half an hour had passed,” he said.
Police say they’re not releasing any information on the suspect until his arraignment, which they expect to happen in the next one to two days.
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