Aberdeen ATM Transaction May Help Find Abducted Philadelphia Woman: Officials

UPDATE: Authorities found the missing woman and her alleged abductor in a Jessup parking lot on Wednesday night. Devin Barnes, 37, of Virginia, has been charged with multiple offenses including kidnapping and is in custody. Carlesha Freeland-Gaither has returned home to Philadelphia.

• Havre de Grace Woman Helped Find Suspect in Philadelphia Abduction
• Woman Found in Jessup After Philadelphia Abduction

Original story published on November 4—Less than 12 hours after a woman was abducted in Philadelphia, authorities report that a man used her ATM card in Aberdeen.

Carlesha Freeland-Gaither, 22, was taken two blocks from her home at approximately 9:40 p.m. on Sunday in Philadelphia, according to Philadelphia Police, who released a video showing the abduction. She was dragged into a four-door gray vehicle that may be a Taurus, where police said she shattered the rear passenger windows.

Philadelphia’s police chief said it did not appear Freeland-Gaither knew her attacker, according to NBC Philadelphia.

At 6:01 a.m. on Monday, a man used Freeland-Gaither’s bank card at the PNC Bank ATM in Aberdeen, NBC reported. The Beards Hill Road bank is located in the Aberdeen Marketplace shopping center near Mars.

The FBI was on-site investigating at the standalone bank in Aberdeen on Tuesday, WBAL reported. The Aberdeen Police Department deferred to the FBI for information, and the FBI did not respond to a request for comment.

Philadelphia Police released surveillance video Tuesday from what appeared to be a convenience store depicting a person of interest in the case. The video was timestamped 6:02 a.m. on Monday.

Freeland-Gaither is described as a black woman who is 5’3”, 125 pounds, with brown eyes, braided hair and a tattoo on her back, according to CBS Philadelphia. She was reportedly last seen carrying a backpack, wearing a light blue jean jacket and gray and white sweater.

She lived in Philadelphia with her boyfriend and worked as a nursing assistant at Presbyterian hospital, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, which reported she grew up in St. Mary’s County in Hollywood, MD, where her grandmother raised her. Her previous home in Maryland was more than 100 miles from Aberdeen.

The suspect in the abduction was described as a black man between 25 and 30 years old, approximately 5’10”, of medium to heavy build, with medium complexion, wearing a dark-colored jacket with a hood and dark pants, Philadelphia Police said.

There is a $42,000 reward for information in the case, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Anyone with information may contact the Philadelphia FBI’s Violence Crimes Task Force at 215-418-4000. Police said that if anyone sees the suspect, not to approach him but to call 911. Those with information may also submit tips online.

Screenshot from YouTube video of person of interest in abduction, courtesy of Philadelphia Police.