U.S. News - kidnapped

1
Feb
2013
5:17am, EST
Jeweler kidnapped from his home by robbers, store ransacked

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By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer, NBC News
A jeweler was kidnapped from his home Thursday by four robbers who then ransacked his store, NBC 10 reported.
The gang forced the man to go to Shuler’s Jewelers in East Norriton, Pennsylvania, according to the station.
They then stole an unknown amount of stock from the store.

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NBC10 said the jeweler was not hurt and was being interviewed by police.
East Norriton Township’s police department said early Friday there was no further information about the robbery.
29 comments
Ding Dong! Who's there? Ummmm.....pizza! Land shark!
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2
Oct
2012
6:08am, EDT
State Dept: Missing American journalist Austin Tice believed held by Syria regime
James Lawler Duggan / AFP - Getty Images, file
Freelance photographer Austin Tice, seen in this July 2012 picture taken at an undisclosed location, has been missing since Aug. 13.
By Alastair Jamieson, NBC News
The U.S. believes missing American journalist Austin Tice is in the hands of the Syrian government, a State Department spokeswoman said, after a YouTube emerged purporting to show him at the hands of his captors.
Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Monday that the State Department was unable to verify the accuracy of the video, which appears to shows Tice with masked men that one expert described as a "caricature of a jihadi group."
Nuland said that the video “may have been staged” and added, “There’s a lot of reason for the Syrian Government to duck responsibility, but we continue to believe that, to the best of our knowledge, we think he is in Syrian Government custody."

The battle for Aleppo: My 18 days with the Syrian rebels
Former U.S. Marine Tice, who worked for outlets including The Washington Post and media group McClatchy Newspapers, has been missing in Syria since Aug. 13.
He posted on Twitter on Aug. 11 saying he had been celebrating his birthday with Syrian rebels.
Spent the day at an FSA pool party with music by @taylorswift13. They even brought me whiskey. Hands down, best birthday ever.
— Austin Tice (@Austin_Tice) August 11, 2012

McClatchy reported on its website Monday that Tice was “alive and in the custody of armed men” and quoted Tice’s parents, Marc and Debra, as saying the video was “reassuring.”
It quoted a statement from the Houston couple saying:

“Though it is difficult to see our son in such a setting and situation as that depicted in the video, it is reassuring that he appears to be unharmed. It is evident that the current events in Syria are challenging and difficult for everyone involved. Our wish is that peace and stability can once again return to the people of Syria and that our eldest son, Austin, will soon be safely returned to our family.”

The video clip, which shows masked men carrying guns, came to light after it was shared on a Facebook page associated with supporters of the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Dad hopes Ex-Marine in Syria will turn up safe
NBC News could not confirm the authenticity of the video. The New York Times reported that several analysts expressed doubts about the authenticity of the video.
The Washington Post also quoted Joseph Holliday, of the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, as saying the video did not ring true and that the "captors" appeared to be wearing Afghan-style clothing rather than those normally associated with Islamists in Syria.
“It’s like a caricature of a jihadi group,” he told the newspaper. “It looks like someone went to the Internet, watched pictures of Afghan mujaheddin, then copied them. My gut instinct is that regime security guys dressed up like a bunch of wahoos and dragged him around and released the video to scare the U.S. and others about the danger of al-Qaida extremists in Syria. It would fit their narrative perfectly.”
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116 comments
The U.S. believes missing American journalist Austin Tice is in the hands of the Syrian government, a State Department spokeswoman said, after a YouTube emerged purporting to show him at the hands of his captors.
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28
Mar
2012
9:31am, EDT
Cops: Couple held disabled woman, cashed checks
Two people have been arrested and accused of kidnapping, starving and beating a disabled New York woman. Police say they held the woman for more than a year and stole her Social Security checks. WNBC-TV's Brynn Gingras reports.
By NBCNewYork.com
Two people have been arrested and accused of kidnapping, starving and beating a disabled woman in a Queens home for more than a year, police say.

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Police found the 58-year-old victim inside the Rockaway Park home last Thursday, after her niece in Pennsylvania became concerned she hadn't heard from her in months.
The victim was found locked in an empty room that could only be opened from the outside, huddled on the floor, bleeding from the head and malnourished, authorities said.
For more, visit NBCNewYork.com
She was taken to a hospital with broken ribs, a broken arm, a dislocated shoulder and other injuries.
Authorities said Patrick Donovan, 42, and Mae Washington, 63, repeatedly beat the victim with their fists and with a cane, locked her in a room and sometimes bound her with tape.
She was also forced to clean up after their dog and multiple cats, even though she is partially paralyzed on the left side of her body, authorities said.
The couple also stole her Social Security checks and cashed them, authorities said.
"I'm devastated," the victim's niece, Deborah Patton, told NBC New York in a phone interview. "I can't believe a human being could treat another human being like that."
The victim had been living with the couple since January 2011, when she was approached by them while at an assisted living facility, the Queens prosecutor's office said. They convinced her to rent space with them to save money.
The victim is now recovering in the hospital.
Washington and Donovan have been charged with kidnapping, assault and endangering the welfare of a disabled person. This was their second arrest this month; they were previously arrested for burglarizing their neighbor.
The two remain jailed with no bond. If convicted, they face up to 25 years in prison. They're expected to return to court in April.
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124 comments
Sick, just unbelievably sick what humans will do to each other. That poor woman.
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