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Woman kidnapped, robbed in Northwest DC; Police search for suspects
Police are searching for two suspects accused of kidnapping a woman and robbing her of $8,000 and jewelry in Northwest D.C. on Tuesday. FOX 5's Stephanie Ramirez has details on the investigation and the search for suspects.
WASHINGTON - Police are searching for two suspects accused of kidnapping a woman and robbing her of $8,000 and jewelry in Northwest D.C. on Tuesday.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department the incident happened around 2:20 p.m. in 1500 block of Park Road in Columbia Heights.
Police said the two suspects drove up to the victim and asked for directions. While talking to the victim one of the suspects got out of the car, pulled out a gun from her purse and demanded the woman get in the car.
The victim explained over the phone in Spanish, that she felt she had no other choice but to get into the suspect’s vehicle, not seeing police around to help.
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The victim says she had just gotten out a midday mass that started a little late at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart Church on Pine St. Northwest.
According to the police report, the victim just about turned the corner, walking away from the church when the incident began. She told police a suspect began asking her for help. The victim told FOX 5 the suspect was asking about legal assistance. The woman tells FOX 5 she directed them to the church center for help.
At some point, the victim said a woman then approached and pulled a gun from her purse, instructing the victim to get into a green-colored van.
The victim complied, and the suspect then drove away while demanding the woman's property. According to a police report, the suspects stole $8,000, 3 gold rings and a gold necklace from the victim.
"I don't know. I don't understand anything because nobody knew – nobody knew what was in my jacket," the victim said in Spanish, asking not to be identified.
She described the money as some kind of benefit money to help daycare teachers that she was responsible for depositing. The victim said she had tried to go to the bank several times. She told FOX 5 she never thought something like this would happen to her and expressed devastation that as an immigrant with not a lot of means, she was allegedly targeted by two people she thought, were coming from the same place as she.
They then dropped the victim off in the 1500 block of Newton Street, about two blocks away from where they abducted her, and fled the area.
Police are still searching for both suspects and the vehicle used during the incident.
One of the suspects is described as a woman, who is about five feet seven inches, 25-30 years-old, and was last seen wearing a black hooded jacket, blue jeans, and red/maroon mid-thigh boots. The other suspect is described as a man, who is under five feet in height, over 40 years-old, has a cloudy left eye and goatee, and was last seen wearing a white shirt with blue dots, black jacket, brown pants, and white shoes with red lines.
The vehicle the suspects used is described a Honda Odyssey, blue or green in color, with an unknown white and blue tag, and a dent on the rear tailgate. Police released the following photo of the vehicle:
Suspect Vehicle. (PHOTO: Metropolitan Police Department)
Anyone with information on the suspects or the incident is asked to call MPD at 202-727-9099 or send a text message tip to 50411.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to arrests and convictions in the case.