‘Somebody help me!’ Woman in van shrieks for help in jarring video, California cops say
Update: A woman has come forward to tell police the incident involved a disturbance between her and her boyfriend, KABC reported. Police said the woman is safe and they are continuing to investigate.
Original story:
A woman’s agonizing pleas for help shock bystanders in a video captured Thursday night in Southern California that has sparked a police investigation.
“Help!” the woman shrieks in the video, which shows a van parked on the street outside what appears to be an apartment balcony. “Somebody help me!”
A man in the van calls to a dog seen wandering on the street nearby. “Come here, Jake,” the man coaxes. “Come here!”
“What’s going on?” an unseen woman asks. “They’re abducting her,” an unseen man says. “Stop!”
He begins calling to the dog, possibly to try to prevent the van from leaving.
“Call 911!” the unseen man tells the woman. “You call 911,” she says, but he objects that he’s filming.
The woman inside the van can be heard moaning and screaming while the man in the van shouts “Let’s go, come on,” apparently at the dog.
“What are you doing?” shouts the unseen man shooting the video. “Why are you doing this?”
The woman in the van resumes screaming for help, and the van drives off while the unseen woman talks to 911 dispatchers.
Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies have posted a flier with a photo of the van from the video asking for anyone with information on the incident to contact investigators.
The bulletin describes the van as a late model Mercedes Benz Sprinter-type van with after-market solar panels and air conditioning added to the roof.
The incident took place near Calgrove Boulevard and Creekside Drive in the Newhall community of Santa Clarita, deputies said.
Investigators ask that anyone with information on the incident call detective David Nisenoff at 661-799-5805. Anonymous tips may be submitted to 800-222-8477 or www.lacrimestoppers.org.
This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 9:44 AM.