A 16-year-old girl who was seen on surveillance video being snatched from the street in The Bronx by a group of men has allegedly admitted to staging the kidnapping.
Karol Sanchez was found safe on Tuesday afternoon and told investigators that she had planned the Monday night abduction herself with four accomplices, sources told CBS2
The sources said the teen had been unhappy about ‘family issues’. A police official had earlier said that the family was considering moving back to their native Honduras, and Sanchez was determined to stay in the US.
Blurry surveillance footage captured the moment four men in a sedan pulled up to Sanchez and her mother as the pair were walking home in the Melrose section of the Bronx at around 11.30pm Monday.
The men grabbed Sanchez and pushed her mother the ground before driving off with the teen.
The NYPD issued an Amber Alert and launched a massive search for the girl, who lives in Dutchess County, New York, and was visiting The Bronx with her mother for a medical appointment.
A $2,500 reward was offered for information on her location.
Fifteen hours after the apparent abduction, Sanchez walked up to the home of a relative with whom she and her mother had been staying at around 2.30pm before being reunited with her relatives.
Videos shot by PIX11 and Eyewitness News on Tuesday afternoon showed an unsteady Sanchez falling into the arms of her 36-year-old mother.
Zani Koxha, who was at the scene when Sanchez returned, told CBS2 that the girl appeared ‘shaken up’ when speaking to the cops.
‘She was bending over, grabbing her knees, and discussing with the police. And that’s when they took her into the parking garage for questioning,’ Koxha said.
In the video, the teenage girl, flanked by relatives, is seen being escorted to an awaiting car.
The teen appeared in tears and was heard whimpering as reporters asked her if she was glad to be back with her family. She made no comment before settling in the backseat of the car.
Sanchez was taken to the 40th Precinct stationhouse, where sources said she admitted to hatching the plan with four accomplices because she was unhappy.
The sources said investigators are planning to speak with everyone involved before determined who, if anyone, will face charges.
