Chicago

‘I Want to Find Him:' Mother of Woman Kidnapped, Locked in Basement Hopes For Suspect's Arrest

The victim's mother reported the 20-year-old missing after not hearing from her for several days

A Chicago mother has launched a plea for justice after her daughter was violently kidnapped in the city's Englewood neighborhood, sexually assaulted and held in a basement for six days, police said.

At approximately 5 p.m. in the 6700 block of South Halsted on Saturday, Nov. 23, the 20-year-old victim said she was walking to a bus stop when an unknown male suspect approached her in an older Navy Blue pickup with rust over the wheels.

The man punched the victim in the side of her head, dragged her into his truck, and then drove her to an unknown location, police said.

The victim's mother, Celelita, reported her missing after not hearing from her for several days. She started searching and getting the word out on social media.

"Anytime someone inboxed me, said anything, gave me an area, I was out there," she said. "Day, night, whatever... no sleep at all."

According to Chicago police, Celelita's daughter was locked in a basement room and sexually assaulted multiple times by different offenders before being released.

On Thanksgiving, Celelita got a phone call from police, and learned the suspect had let her daughter go. Investigators believe he did so after seeing a social media post about her being missing.

"My baby is alive, and that's all that matters to me... that she was making it out alive," the victim's mother said.

Police said the suspect is in his early 40s, had a bald head, black beard, brown eyes and is about 6 feet tall with a medium build.

Anyone with information about a possible suspect was asked to call Area South detectives at 312-747-8271.

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