It's a thinking problem . . .

[BullfrogKen]

This occurred about 15 minutes from my house yesterday. I pass the place where this woman was abducted to buy my tobacco all the time.

Take note that she solved the problem with her social skills. The drive from Lemoyne to Lancaster takes about 45 minutes. We aren't told how the cab driver solved it when he got involved, but the local tv news reports are saying he simply inserted himself into it and managed to convince the kidnapper to let her go.

She was very lucky. Most of the time someone is taken from the initial crime scene, the "second crime scene" is where the body is found.

http://www.whtm.com/news/stories/1108/571039.html

Manhunt: Suspect Accused of Kidnapping Ex at Knifepoint

Swatara Township, Pa. - Swatara Township police say they are actively looking for a 48-year-old Lancaster man, wanted for kidnapping his ex-girlfriend.

Robert Baez is accused of forcing the 49-year-old Steelton woman into her minivan at knifepoint. Police say Baez approached her early Tuesday morning when she showed up to work at REM Staffing on Market Street in Lemoyne.

Police say Baez drove the woman to his hometown of Lancaster, before she convinced him to turn around and take her back to work.

He did, police say, but then followed her to the Chestnut Pointe apartments in Swatara Township. There, police say Baez blocked the woman's car, and again came at the woman with a knife. An alert cab driver saw it happen and intervened.

"That's great to see," said neighbor Portia Mosby. "It's great to see someone actually cared about another human being enough to get involved."

Police say Baez should be considered dangerous.

"He is armed with a knife," Deputy Chief Jason Umberger said. "He is actively being sought by our police department for numerous felonies, so treat him accordingly."

Baez was last seen driving a dark grey Toyota Avalon with tinted windows. He also owns a white Honda Accord with license plate GRL5862.

If you see Baez, you're asked to call your local police department immediately.

Today's follow up:

Man Wanted for Kidnapping Still on the Loose

Swatara Township, Pa. - A Lancaster man wanted for kidnapping is still on the loose.

abc27 has now learned that the suspect and victim are blood cousins and former roommates. Police say the suspect, 48-year-old Robert Baez, was interested in a romantic relationship with his cousin, 49-year-old Lucy Molina of Steelton. According to court documents, however, Molina did not share that interest.

Police say the two recently lived together to share expenses. Yesterday, police say Baez kidnapped Molina from her job at REM Staffing in Lemoyne.

According to court documents filed this morning, police say Baez forced Molina into her minivan with a steak knife, saying things like "Do you want me to kill you right now?" and "Do you want me to slit your throat?"

Police say Baez then drove Molina to his hometown of Lancaster where she convinced him to turn around and take her back to work. Court documents say she pleaded with him, saying "If you love me, you need to let me go."

Once he did let her go, police say Baez continued to follow Molina. Once again, he threatened her at the Chestnut Pointe Apartments in Swatara Township. But an alert cab driver intervened, and Baez fled.

Police say they have not been able to locate Robert Baez. They say he has ties to both Florida and Connecticut.

Baez was last seen driving a dark gray Toyota Avalon with tinted windows. He also has access to a white Honda Accord with license plate number GRL5862.

Police say if you see Baez, you should not approach him on your own. Call police immediately. Baez was officially charged with several crimes today, including aggravated assault and kidnapping.

News video clip from a competing local network:

http://www.wgal.com/video/18011677/index.html

Note also that every local network was calling this woman his former lover, or ex-girlfriend. They're now beating feet to backtrack on that relationship, after more facts and less speculation have come to light. News reporters often get things wrong, so it's a good lesson to learn to withhold judgment on anything they report until some time passes and actual facts surface.

 

[zombienerd]

I have known for a long time to not trust initial reports...

Last year, one of my Mother's friends' Daughter was involved in the death of her 2 year old grand-daughter. My mother went to the scene to console her friend, and later that day was shown on MULTIPLE news shows as the Grandmother of the slain toddler. (One network broadcast, and the rest took the video/pictures from the first)

She got multiple phone calls from friends and relatives asking what happened to MY daughter, and spent hours on the phone trying to get everything straightened out. The media never recanted the mix-up, but showed the correct family in all the following reports.

That really ticked her off... And showed all of us that the media really can run off without verifying sources, photographs, interviews, etc...

(This story is not firearms related, the poor child was killed by neglect and abuse by a drug addicted mother and her live-in boyfriend who was also a sex-offender)

 

[Trebor]

Initial reports are *always* wrong.

Heck, I used to be a reporter, and I believe that now more then ever.

 

[Byron Quick]

News reporters often get things wrong, so it's a good lesson to learn to withhold judgment on anything they report until some time passes and actual facts surface.

It's not 'often' in my experience, it's always. I've never seen a report on a subject of which I was knowledgeable which did not contain errors which revealed a failure to ask basic questions such as who, what, where, when, and how by the 'journalist.' As in 'what is your name?'

I remember this whenever I hear a report that the sun will rise in the east in the morning. Based on past experience with the news, I know that I need to be outside with a watch and a compass to check the accuracy of the report.