Federal Charges Filed Against Suspect in Germantown Kidnapping

Police have released more information about how they were able to locate Delvin Barnes, the man accused of kidnapping Carlesha Freeland-Gaither. Meanwhile, police are praising Freeland-Gaither, saying her courage helped her stay alive during the ordeal.

Philadelphia Police Detective James Sloan said at a news conference Thursday that Freeland-Gaither made several moves that allowed police to find her quicker. She dropped her cell phone so that police would know she was kidnapped, and gave Barnes her ATM card and pin in the hopes cops would spot him on surveillance cameras. Police also praised her fight and spirit; Freeland-Gaither even hit her attacker in the head with a hammer. She kicked out a window as Barnes sped away in the car after abducting her, witnesses told authorities.

Barnes is facing federal kidnapping charges (since he’s alleged to have transported Freeland-Gaither to Maryland). He’s also been extradited to Virginia to face charges he kidnapped a 16-year-old, raped her and doused her body with bleach and gasoline in October. Police say Barnes told them he did not know Freeland-Gaither.

Detective Sloan called Dwayne Fletcher a hero for finding Freeland-Gaither’s cell phone and giving it to police. He says if anyone deserves the $47,000 reward, it’s him. “I’m OK [with being called a hero]… I’d take it,” Fletcher told CBS 3. “But tomorrow’s another day, I gotta go to work.”

Meanwhile, Barnes’ uncle did not have kind words for his nephew: “From my experience and knowledge of him, he has a thing about women and females… It’s hard for me to accept the viciousness of it, I’m not necessarily surprised.”

The federal complaint against Barnes is below.

Filed Complaint Against Delvin Barnes by PhiladelphiaMagazine