Woman escapes attempted abduction in East Memphis, police say

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A woman was nearly abducted in East Memphis on Wednesday, according to the Memphis Police Department (MPD).

MPD said the attempted abduction happened during the day on Chanwil.

Neighbors tell FOX13′s Carolyn Cerda, the victim was just walking her dog at the corner of Pinehurst and Chanwil when a car pulled up and someone tried to abduct her.

“The car backed up and her reaction and my reaction was like, ‘oh my gosh, something’s getting ready to happen,’” said Laura Slavney, who witnessed the attempted abduction.

Security video from the area shows a grey car turning around in the street and taking off.

Slavney said she was washing dishes just before 3 p.m., and when she looked out her window and saw the terrifying scene unfold.

Memphis Police said that the driver was wearing a ski mask and gloves.

The other man was in the back seat passenger side.

He opened the door and tried to “snatch her.”

Luckily, nobody was injured during the frightening moments, police said.

“I barely saw the door open but it was the fact that the car backed up, she turned around and started just screaming, like ‘no, no, no, no’ and then I knew exactly what was getting ready to happen,” said Slavney. “She was walking her dog so it was just so random. So yeah, it was scary.”

Slavney said she and another neighbor ran outside to help.

By then the woman had already run toward Slavney’s house, and the car had taken off.

But a nearby Ring camera captured the car on surveillance video.

The victim described it as dark grey with tinted windows and rear damage.

The car, she said, also made loud noises.

“It was a car that didn’t belong in this neighborhood,” said Slavney. “We just don’t have loud, beat up cars, dark tinted window cars here. It sounded like almost, the muffler sound.”

“People walk their dogs, people jog, kids can ride their bikes, and it’s just really sad,” said Slavney.

Another neighbor, Gus Denton, walks along the same path where the attempted abduction happened every morning.

“It is sad; It is sad and concerning,” said Denton. “I never had a problem, I’m obviously on guard, but never had a problem. It’s just a sad part of what our culture is facing today.”

Slavney said everyone is now looking at beefing up security, including the neighborhood watch.

“I shudder to think what would’ve happened if it was just her by herself,” said Slavney. It could have turned out far different, especially with the Eliza Fletcher issue it was just like, ‘oh my God no, this cannot happen.’ I think everybody’s going to be beefing up their security. You’ve just got to tighten things up now, look at things differently than you used to.”

If you have any information about the car or the suspects, call Crimestoppers at 901-528-CASH.

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