Breaking news … 16-year-old female student abducted at gunpoint

By Charles Sercombe
Thanks to tips from the public and fast police work, a 16-year-old female who was allegedly kidnapped early Monday morning was rescued.
According to the Hamtramck Police Department and community members on social media, the female is a student at Frontier International Academy who was waiting at a bus stop at Edwin and Pulaski at about 7 a.m. when a male suspect armed with a gun abducted her and forced her into his vehicle.
The student was found by police officers within a half hour, thanks to tips from the community about the whereabouts of the suspect’s vehicle.
Neither the identity of the student nor the suspect was made public. The police department said the suspect and victim do not know each other. The identity of the suspect will be made public once he is arraigned.
The suspect, who Mayor Adam Alharbi said has a criminal history that includes rape, was apprehended without incident. The student, according to sources, had not been harmed.
“This appears to be an isolated incident,” said Police Chief Hussein Farhat, at a press conference held in city hall. “It happened very quickly.”
Farhat praised the quick work by officers and detectives.
“I believe a child’s life was saved because of the officers,” he said. “The suspect wasn’t able to get far.”
Mayor Alharbi said he hopes that, if the suspect is found guilty, he will face the “highest maximum punishment permitted by law. We will make sure he gets what he deserves.”
Hamtramck School Board President Abdumalik said investigators were tipped off about the kidnapping by several students who witnessed the incident.
Witnesses, he said, “were able to help track the student’s location through social media and cell phone information.”
Abdulmalik said further precautions are being taken to safeguard students.
“We have been in contact with our transportation partners, who will be taking additional safety precautions during student pick up and drop off.
“We will continue to share updates as needed to keep our community informed and supported.
“As in any instance that threatens the safety of our children, it is very important they know what to do. Please speak with your children on a daily basis about their day, to see if anything has happened that would cause alarm.”
Frontier is a charter school located on Conant. It is not part of the Hamtramck Public School District.
A resident, Um Hamza, posted on social media that her daughter “told me while getting on the bus and going to the next location to pick up on Edwin St. One girl comes running and crying saying her friend was just kidnapped. She (the victim) was walking to the bus stop when a guy wearing a mask snatched her.”
Posted April 13, 2026