Police questioning person of interest in attempted kidnapping

By Sabrina Franza, Tara Molina, Marissa Perlman

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Chicago Police are questioning a person of interest, after a man tried to kidnap a woman in the city’s West Loop but was thwarted by some good Samaritans.

Police confirmed they were questioning a person of interest in connection to the attempted kidnapping of a 45-year-old woman on Sunday near Sangamon and Adams Streets.

It was at least the second time in recent weeks that there had been a kidnapping attempt in the area of Sangamon between Adams and Jackson streets.

Chicago police on Monday released surveillance photos of the suspect in Sunday’s kidnapping attempt. He is seen in a sweatshirt and patterned pajama pants.

Neighbors who live in the building above where this happened were woken up by the screams of a woman who was trying to get away from her alleged attempted kidnappers.

Video capturing those terrifying moments shows what appears to be a dark red van driving away. Neighbors tell us they believe a Lyft driver and passenger interceded before the unimaginable could happen.

Police say before this video was taken the offender approached the 45-year-old victim, grabbed both of her arms, and attempted to pull her inside of a maroon minivan.

Almost a month ago on August 24, a man was walking his dog at the corner of Adams and Sangamon streets when he spotted what looked like a woman in distress. The man sprayed the would-be kidnapper and three other people in the getaway car with bear spray. They took off shortly afterward.

That woman was not physically harmed. Police have not said if the two incidents are connected.

“Now this has become very scary,” said Julie Darling with West Loop Community Organization. “I’m not one to be an alarmist, but at this point it does very much scare me. It’s very unnerving, and I’m really urging my neighbors and my friends to walk together, carry some sort of self-defense, pepper spray, mace. The first line of self-defense is being aware.”

In both cases someone was there to step in and do something and cameras were rolling. Neighbors worry that won’t always be the case.

CBS 2 did reach out to building management to see if they would give us that video. We are waiting to hear back.

Police have not said if the two incidents are connected, and though they found the minivan, they have not made any arrests.

Meantime, community leaders are calling for more police patrols in the area to help women who live in the neighborhood feel safe. They’re also asking for volunteers to help patrol the area.

“There are still no answers. We have yet another woman that has been traumatized and don’t know where to turn for help,” said Eric Russell, president of Tree Of Life Justice League.

“When you think about what’s going on in the city of Chicago, there is no such thing as political. You’ve got to put the people first. We’re people,” said West Side activist Zerlina Smith-Members.

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