Police in Florida ask for public’s help after video shows possible abduction of woman in broad daylight
Police in Florida are asking for the public’s help after surveillance video footage captured what investigators believe may be the abduction of a woman in broad daylight on New Year’s Eve.
The incident happened around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday outside the Lake Condominium apartment building near West 27th Avenue and 52nd Street in Hialeah.
Police said a concerned citizen called 911 after witnessing what she believed was an abduction – and that the surveillance footage later corroborated the account.
The footage shows a man dressed in all black standing near a white Ford F-150, and a woman wearing a gray sweatshirt and khaki sweatpants. In one still image from the footage, the man appears to be forcing the woman into the truck, which police say is a modified white Platinum Edition model with “distinct” black rims.
Investigators believe the incident was not random and that the man and woman seen in the footage are known to each other, according to WPLG.
The man was described by police as being white and approximately five-foot-seven. The woman is described as a white female with long black hair, last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, khaki sweatpants, and black sandals.
As of Thursday, no missing persons report matching the woman’s description has been filed, further complicating the investigation, police said.
Brian Sanz, the 27-year-old son of the building manager at the Lake Condominiums, told CBS News Miami that he has never seen the people from the photos.
“I do not recognize the people in the surveillance photos,” Sanz said. “I can say I have never seen them before and I am not sure but do think they ever lived in this building.”
“I am a little surprised by what happened,” he added. “Nothing like this ever goes on here. This is a chill neighborhood. We have not even had any break-ins at apartments.”
A resident of the Lake Condominiums also spoke to the news outlet, recalling that she heard screams that morning.
“I heard noises and screaming. I heard two or three screams and I didn’t go out of my house but you could hear the screams,” the woman said. “I heard her say ‘no.’ This place has been really quiet for years and not the sort of place where this stuff happens. I was scared. I couldn’t go back to sleep.”
Another resident, who CBS News Miami identified as the woman’s partner, said the incident was deeply unsettling.
“These are not the sort of things we are used to seeing in this community,” he said. “Someone should be held responsible for this.”
Police described the case as a “suspicious incident” and said their primary concern is the woman’s safety.
“Our primary concern is the immediate well-being of the female involved,” police said in a statement. “Our detectives are working diligently to locate her as quickly as possible to verify her safety.”
Anyone who recognizes the man and woman or the vehicle is urged to contact Hialeah police at 305-687-2525 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).
