Another Camden abduction sparks concerns

CAMDEN - December 28, 2007 Priscilla Diaz was visiting her mother on Highland Avenue Friday. She was stunned to learn another Camden girl was abducted. This time, the abduction happened the day after Christmas and this child's ordeal ended on the block of Garden and Highland Avenues.

"It's just scary because we don't know exactly what's going on," Diaz said.

Action News has learned the 12-year-old victim was abducted from another part of Camden, driven around by her kidnapper, sexually assaulted and then dropped off on Highland Avenue. She was undressed and crying, when a neighbor took her in and called 911.

It's the fourth abduction or attempted abduction of a young girl in Camden since October. On December 11, an 11-year-old girl was grabbed by a man on 36th and Hayes as she walked home from Camden Promise Charter School. She was sexually assaulted before she got a away.

In October, a 14-year-old girl escaped a would-be kidnapper at 8th and Everett Streets. In November, another 14-year-old was sexually assaulted after she was grabbed by a man on the 1900 block of Mulford Street.

In the three prior instances, police say the victims described the same vehicle.

"This involved a dark-colored minivan, possibly with tinted windows, which seems to be our common denominator between these incidents," Sgt. Curt Clauss of the Camden Police said.

"We have a police officer who's a parent, who brought in a flyer with a little description and what was going on. We posted it and gave it to the students as they were leaving on December 21," Diaz said.

That flyer included information about the three prior instances. Nobody in Camden that Action News spoke with on Friday knew there had been another abduction reported.

The Camden County Prosecutor's office would say only that there is ongoing investigation without releasing any further details.