NYC Kidnapping Case Takes a Strange Turn

Teen allegedly staged her own abduction
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 18, 2019 5:33 AM CST
Report: Police Say Teen Staged Own Kidnapping
This image provided by the New York City Police Department shows Karol Sanchez.   (New York City Police Department via AP)

A bizarre twist in a kidnapping case that rattled New York City on Monday: Police sources tell the New York Times that Karol Sanchez, the 16-year-old seen on surveillance video being snatched off a Bronx street and bundled into a car Monday night, has admitted staging the kidnapping to get away from her "overprotective" mother. Karol's mother was pushed to the ground by the two men who dragged her daughter into a vehicle but she was not seriously injured. The sources say Karol may have come up with the scheme because her family planned to move back to Honduras but she wanted to stay in the US.

Karol was released after being interviewed by police Tuesday and it's not clear whether she will face charges over the incident, the New York Daily News reports. The supposed kidnappers, believed to be her friends, may also face charges. New York State Police Trooper Patrick Quinlan tells CNN that an Amber Alert was sent out Tuesday morning because police feared Karol was "in imminent danger of bodily harm and/or death." Karol resurfaced hours after the alert was sent out. (More kidnapping stories.)

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