Security footage has shown two men trying to kidnap a woman on a street in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The abduction attempt took place around 11.33pm on Thursday in the Marigny neighbourhood in downtown New Orleans.
A preliminary report from the New Orleans Police Department says that the two men grabbed the 34-year-old woman at the crossing of Dauphine Street and Marigny Street.
The department has said that the men were in the process of trying to push the woman into their car when they possibly saw headlights approaching, and decided to drive off and leave the victim.
The incident was filmed on a neighbour’s security camera. The episode occurred just outside the bedroom window.
The vehicle used by the suspected kidnappers was a grey Nissan Altima or Maxima, possibly from between 2014 and 2018, with windows that were heavily tinted, and it had a small spoiler on the back.
According to 4WWL, the woman told the police that she couldn’t see the driver of the car, but she described the two masked men who exited the vehicle as Hispanic.
The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) has said that the suspected abduction attempt is still under investigation and that no arrests have been made and no suspects have been identified.
John Joslin’s security camera captured the abduction attempt. He told WDSU that “this was not just a simple jumping of somebody for their purse, this was an abduction”.
He added that the woman’s reaction after the attempt was “very interesting”.
“I’m going to assume that she knows, kind of like me, you live in an urban environment, you know how to protect yourself, you’re aware that things like this are always a possibility,” he said.
“She remained very calm and collected. My husband has had a conversation with her and she reiterated that she accepted this as part of living in a city,” Mr Joslin told WDSU.
He said that the “officers that are here are great, there’s just not enough of them”.
Anyone with information that can help authorities is urged to call NOPD Fifth District investigators at 504-658-6050 or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.
