Police search West Philadelphia home in case of kidnapped girl

WEST PHILADELPHIA - February 8, 2013

Officers served the warrant at a home on the 6200 block of Walton Avenue in West Philadelphia.

Action News has learned detectives were re-interviewing a 19-year-old woman who lives at the house. That woman also happens to work at the daycare where the 5-year-old would go after school.

However, police have not named her - or anyone else - a person of interest in this case.

Police were led there by tip calls and a neighborhood walkthrough by the 5-year-old kidnapping victim, who told detectives this area of Cobbs Creek looked familiar.

The area is just a few dozen yards from the Philadelphia side of Cobbs Creek park - and a direct shot to the park bordering Upper Darby, where the child was abandoned in the freezing overnight darkness wearing only a t-shirt.

Police went into the house looking for evidence, including DNA, that the child was there.

"They did execute a warrant, but I don't know if it's going to lead us anywhere yet. It's too early to tell. We're working it, we're working it aggressively and we're not going to stop. This is a heinous crime," said Commissioner Charles Ramsey.

Other occupants of the home were interviewed by detectives, but let go on Friday morning.

The 5-year-old girl was kidnapped last month from the Bryant Elementary school at 60th and Cedar Avenue.

A woman wearing Muslim garb was seen on surveillance video taking the little girl out of her class.

The girl was found in an Upper Darby playground early the next morning and returned to her mother. The hunt for the kidnappers goes on.

An $80,000 reward has been posted by the Citizens Crime Commission for the capture of the kidnappers.

The community of local Muslims says it is putting up at least $20,000 in reward money for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

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