How a gas station clerk saved 16-year-old girl abducted by stranger after she mouthed ‘help’
A Michigan gas station clerk helped rescue a 16-year-old girl after she was abducted at gunpoint while waiting for her school bus in Hamtramck early Monday morning, according to police.
Hamtramck Police Chief Hussein Farhat said the teen was taken just after 7 a.m. by a man with a gun. About 30 minutes later, the suspect brought her to a Sunoco gas station, where he asked her to pay for cigarettes.
Inside the store, clerk Abdulrahman Abohatem noticed something was wrong when he saw the interaction. The teenager quietly signaled for help without speaking.
Abohatem stepped out from behind the protective barrier, confronted the man, and ordered him out of the store. He then positioned the girl behind him to keep her safe.
At the same time, students who had witnessed the earlier abduction helped police track the girl’s phone. Officers quickly arrived at the gas station as the clerk was escorting the suspect outside.
Abohatem identified the man to responding officers, and police took him into custody without further incident.
Authorities said the suspect did not know the victim and described the case as a random abduction in which the opportunity was taken during the girl’s morning wait for the bus. Police also said the suspect has a history that includes prior rape allegations.
Officials said the suspect is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday.
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