7 yr old Female Child Kidnapped and Ransom Demand Made

MSNBC on Satelite | 7/23/02 | MSNBC (Top of the hour report)

[stlnative]

A 7 year old female has been kidnapped in PA by 2 men, a $250,000 ransom demand has been made for her safe return. This was announced on MSNBC TV at the 2am Central time top of the hour report. I will post more as I find news reports on it.

[Mo1]

Where in PA??

[stlnative]

I don't know... I just caught part of the news release. I looking it up now and will post what I can find.

[Mo1]

Here is what the local news is reporting

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/07222002_nw_abduction.html

Girl Abducted in Southwest Philadelphia

[stlnative]

Thanks


Girl Abducted in Southwest Philadelphia

SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA: July 22, 2002 —

Erica Pratt was kidnapped from the 6000 block of Kingsessing Avenue Monday night. If you have any information about her whereabouts please call 911. Police are searching for a 7-year-old girl who was kidnapped off the street in Southwest Philadelphia late Monday night. The girl was abducted from the 6000 block of Kingsessing Avenue, and a ransom has been demanded by her kidnapper.

Seven year old Erica Pratt was last seen wearing a white tank top, blue shorts and black flip-flops, with her hair in ponytails. She's about 3'5" and weights about 70 pounds. Initial police reports say that the child was abducted about 9:22 p.m. from 6038 Kingsessing Avenue. The abductor is described as a heavyset black male who was driving a white car with tinted windows. According to police, a couple of threatening phone calls have been made to the girl's home demanding a ransom. A police helicopter has been scouring the area, but so far there has been no sign of the little girl or her abductors. Police do not have any reason for the abduction at this point and don't know who the kidnapper could be. Pratt was with a 5-year-old girl when she was abducted, and the girl is being questioned by police from the special victims unit. Anyone who has information about Erica Pratt's whereabouts is being asked to simply call 911.

[swheats]

I pray this child returns home alive.

[stlnative]

(Ping) Another child kidnapped, but a ransom demand has been made.

[Mo1]

You're welcome .. seems like only Channel 6 ABCNews covered the story

I hope they find this little girl and bring home safe

[goodieD]

More prayers that this little one has a better chance since they asked for ransom.

[stlnative]

(Philadelphia) (KYW) July 22, 2002 11:51 pm A seven-year-old girl was allegedly abducted from a Southwest Philadelphia street corner on Monday night, police said.

Witnesses told police the girl, who is about 3-foot-5 and weighs 70 pounds, was grabbed from the 6000 block of Kingsessing Avenue in the Kingsessing neighborhood near the Mount Moriah Cemetery around 9:30 p.m.

They said she was taken away by two men in a white, older model Buick Century with dark tinted windows.

An officer in the police's Southwest Detectives office said any further information would have to come from the police Special Victims Unit.

Watch Eyewitness News beginning at 5 a.m. for the latest update on this developing story.

[Lower55]

The media will be all over this after being accused of only covering stories on 'pretty white girls'.

[stlnative]

7-year-old girl believed kidnapped in Southwest Philadephia

Tuesday July 23, 2002

PHILADELPHIA (AP) A 7-year-old girl was reportedly abducted from a Southwest Philadelphia street corner by two men who may have made a ransom demand, police said Tuesday.

Witnesses told police that the girl, Erica Pratt, who is about 3-foot-5 and weighs 70 pounds, was grabbed Monday night from a corner in the Kingsessing neighborhood near the Mount Moriah Cemetery.

They said she was taken away by two heavyset men in a white car with dark tinted windows.

Cpl. Tom Read of the Special Victims Unit said Tuesday that police are investigating whether a ransom demand may have been made in the case of the missing girl.

Although the Special Victims Unit is best known for handling sex crimes, Read said his unit also handles child abduction cases.

[goodieD]

Yeah I had a similar thought about that when I saw her picture...

[stlnative]

I agree with you... This child should get as much coverage as the others did. Besides the perps on this one have made a ransom demand.

[swheats]

This keeps up we're gonna see a lot of pistol packing mamas on the porch watching over our children.

250,000.00 sounds like crackheads. You think they'll settle for 2000 and some rocks? Either way it goes the kidnappers might not get out of this alive.

[RJayneJ]

I hate to be the one that says it, but this makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up, there is something about this story that seems to me, to be contrived. I pray that this baby is safe.

[Nam Vet]

I too am glad this is getting coverage so quickly. The only thing that pisses me off is that we knew the last suspect was hispanic from the first report. If people saw 2 men pick her up, why the hell don't we get their descriptions? If the stupid race-baiters would shut up, we would solve/stop one hell of a lot more crime.

Nam Vet

[Greybird]

Well, this latest atrocity -- and I hope she's found quickly -- should satisfy the "news analysts" at the Los Angeles friggin' Times. One was complaining in a Saturday piece about so many of the recent abduction reports being ... you guessed it ... of little white girls, and of more than minimally well-off socioeconomic class.

[Yeti]

If people saw 2 men pick her up, why the hell don't we get their descriptions?

After a year or two of having it pointed out for me here on FR, I have learned that "no description" means "black."

For a ramsom demand to be useful, this girl's family would have to have money, so this must not be a ghetto kid. Unless the crackheads that did this are really that stupid.

[MindyW]

This from post #5. The abductor is described as a heavyset black male who was driving a white car with tinted windows.