Woman kidnapped at W. Phila. gas station.
Police are investigating the kidnapping of a woman under the brightly lit canopy of a West Philadelphia gas station late Saturday night.
The crime occurred shortly before 10:30 p.m. at the Sunoco on 52nd and Spruce Streets, police said. After the woman bought some items and exited the gas station, she was grabbed and dragged into a tan or gold-colored minivan that was parked at one of the pumps.
The car was an early 2000s model with tinted windows and side panels. It drown south on 52nd.
Several people were getting gas or standing outside the store just feet away from the struggle, police said. Two people called 911.
"One guy pumping gas watched the whole thing and did nothing," said Lt. John Walker at a Sunday afternoon press conference. "We know there are other witnesses who saw this and need to come forward."
The victim is a African-American woman in her late teens to mid 20s. She weighs between 180 pounds and 200 pounds and was wearing a dark striped gray hooded jacket, blue jeans and tan boots. The bottom two-thirds of her hair, which fell below her shoulders, was dyed red.
Three men were involved in the incident. A man who served as a lookout wore a black sweatshirt emblazoned with a crown and the letters LB4R. The suspect who forced the woman into the car stood about 6 feet tall. The third suspect sat in the driver's seat.
"You can clearly see the struggle, and you can clearly see people watching," Walker said.
Anyone with information should contact the Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183 or call 911.
610-313-8118
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