Woman and Child Kidnapped, Held for Ransom from Ferndale

(Lt. William Wilson, Ferndale Police Dept., Dec. 13,2013)

Coordinated efforts between the Ferndale Police Department, Michigan State Police, and Detroit Police Department resulted in the rescue of a woman and her 12 year old daughter after they were carjacked and kidnapped by gunman and terrorized for hours.

Ferndale police received a report from a Ferndale Business woman that she believed her sister and niece were kidnapped after leaving her business at about 6:30 Thursday evening. Shortly after the couple drove away, the reporting woman received a phone call from her sister. Her sister sounded scared and told her to meet her with $200 in the parking lot of the Foodland Store in Ferndale. Before arriving with the money, the woman received another call from her sister (victim) changing the location to the area of Livernois and Davidson in Detroit.

When the woman went to Detroit, she was eventually instructed to follow her sister’s car to a remote area, get out of the car, and give her money. She did this, and could see that her sister was scared. The 12 year old girl was in the car. In the back seat of the victim’s car was a man who could not be seen through the tinted windows.  He was ordering the victim woman what to do. After the money exchange, the victim drove quickly away.

The complainant reported to Ferndale Police. The police contacted the phone company and began getting coordinates of the victim’s cell phone. While doing this, the victim phoned again. She said she needed her sister to meet her with more money and gave another location in Detroit.

Ferndale police were being kept informed of the cell phone location and a Ferndale officer spotted the vehicle. Ferndale notified DPD and MSP and all jurisdictions sent officers to respond. Police were then able to rescue the woman and her daughter, and the suspect fled on foot. Detroit Officers chased him and found him hiding in a basement on Phillip Street.

During the kidnapping event, the armed gunman forced the 45 year old victim mother to cooperate by holding the 12 year old girl as a hostage. At one point, the suspect carjacked another car in Detroit, and forced the victims into the newly stolen vehicle. Later, they returned to the woman’s car in got back into it.

The suspect is in custody of Detroit Police.

UPDATE:  Investigators originally thought the carjacking happened in Ferndale because the first call to the business owner came shortly after her sister and niece had left. They later learned the pair was abducted at a gas station at Livernois and Cortland in Detroit.

NOTE:  Police Reports come directly from the Police Department or agency involved and are written by the person or agency listed below the title.  We generally run these “as is” or with minimal editing for punctuation, spelling, etc. Suspects should not be presumed guilty.  Those needing more information about a case are encouraged to follow up with the reporting agency or court system for the most current information.

EDITORS NOTE:  People have been contacting the 115  for more info and to reveal the witness and victim by sharing where this took place.  Please understand that these women have been through enough.  Police and media have a duty to protect victim and witness identities.  If the 115 outed the store owner, it would subject them to the trauma of having to re tell the story over and over, be it to gawkers or to well-wishers.  Additionally it would put that store owner at risk of retribution from the criminal or the criminal’s friends or family.   If something bad happened to you, or someone you loved, would you want the police or the media telling the world where to find you?  Thank you for understanding this. If the store owner chooses to come forward, this story will be updated.   -cp