Manhunt For Kidnapper Continues, Victim Found Safe: Peru Police

PERU, IL — A kidnapping victim initially believed to be a teenage girl is actually a woman in her 20s, Peru police said, but she's been found safe. Her abductor is still at large and Police Chief Douglas Bernabei said he's confident he will be arrested on a warrant.

Bernabei credited a "very alert person" who heard the woman screaming just before 5 a.m. Monday and saw her being forced into a vehicle. While the FBI initially said witnesses saw two men force the victim into a vehicle, police said they are looking for a Peoria-area man they believe is responsible.

Police said the victim — whose stature led witnesses to believe she was a teenage girl — was found late Tuesday morning at an apartment in Peoria. Bernabei said she is safe, and that she was previously in a relationship with the man officers are looking to arrest.

Bernabei said investigators feared the worst — a stranger abduction — but that the woman was taken against her will in a "physical confrontation."

Within 20 minutes of the abduction, Bernabei said police had video of the vehicle, believed to have been a Ford Excursion or pickup truck with topper.

Bernabei said the man police are looking for is a convicted felon and has a warrant out for failure to appear in connection with a 2017 aggravated battery case.

He also said two guns, including one that may have a silencer, were found, and that gun charges could be pending against the man.

On Tuesday, the FBI also released a photo of a shoe that was found at the scene: A pink tie-dye-color rubber sandal. The sandal is "Rouge" brand and is size 7.5.

Bernabei said there was evidence of a "violent struggle" near the scene of the incident. He cited two crucial calls — one to the FBI to mobilize their child abduction rapid deployment team, and one to the LaSalle County Sheriff's Office — with helping find the woman safe.

"This case is being solved because of some extremely dedicated, alert citizens," Bernabei said, calling it a "round the clock investigation."

"Ultimately, we're going to locate this guy," Bernabei said.

Details on victim and attacker descriptions will be provided as available, the FBI said.

A map showing the area the girl was taken from, courtesy of Google Maps: