Kidnapped Philly Woman Found Alive

A woman whose violent abduction was captured on surveillance video in Philadelphia has been found alive and well in Maryland, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. Carlesha Freeland-Gaither, 22, is in good condition, and police say her assailant, identified as 37-year-old Delven Barnes, is in custody. NBC Philadelphia reports that police rescued Freeland-Gaither from a vehicle on the side of a road in Jessup, Md., yesterday after Barnes stepped out of it. Authorities had identified it as the vehicle used in the abduction, tracked it to Maryland, and had it under surveillance. Philadelphia's police chief called Barnes a "vicious predator" and said he hoped he'd spend the rest of his life in jail.

Authorities say Freeland-Gaither, a nursing assistant, did not know her assailant, with Philadelphia's police commissioner telling CNN it appears to be a "stranger abduction." A number of media sources are reporting that Barnes is wanted in connection with a violent incident in Charles City County, Va., and CNN details the "horrific allegations": Per a local police official, a 16-year-old girl who went missing on Oct. 1 was found naked and bleeding two days later, having allegedly been kept at Barnes' home where bleach and gasoline were poured on her. She remains in the hospital, where she is recovering from third-degree burns. Barnes is expected to be charged with abduction, forcible rape, and malicious wounding with a chemical in connection with that crime today. Meanwhile, Freeland-Gaither is back in Philly, reports the Times Dispatch. (More kidnapping stories.)