A teenage girl who happens to be the niece of Kurt Angle was abducted in the Penn Hills area of Pittsburgh this yesterday evening, but was found safely as of 3:45 AM EST this morning.
Kurt Angle writes on Facebook that abducted Penn Hills teen Marjani Aquil is his niece @WPXI Her ex boyfriend, Jermaine Rodgers is accused of taking her. A witness said she saw him with a pistol. pic.twitter.com/qePRXSyHrQ
— Gabriella DeLuca (@GabriellaDeLuca) January 17, 2019
The following are reports from WXPI in Pittburgh:
PENN HILLS, Pa. – A teenage girl was taken from her home in Penn Hills, according to the police chief.
Police told Channel 11 News the 16-year-old had last been seen at her Glenbrook Court home around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday when Jermaine Rodgers, 19, allegedly abducted her.
The girl was found early Thursday morning and Rodgers was taken into custody, authorities said.
8 a.m. UPDATE: A Facebook Live helped lead police to the McKeesport home where 19-year-old abduction suspect Jermaine Rodgers and the 16-year-old victim were located early Thursday morning, Penn Hills Police Chief Howard Burton said.
Someone called a Penn Hills sergeant to report seeing Rodgers and the teenage girl on the Facebook Live, Burton said.
Using the information provided to them, police were able to pinpoint the location of the house where they found the girl and arrested Rodgers, who was hiding in a coal cellar, authorities said.
Penn Hills Police Chief just told us the suspect & victim were spotted in a Facebook live video together. Someone called a sergeant & reported the video to police. Officers were able to pinpoint the home and moved in to locate the victim & arrest the suspect in Mckeesport. @WPXI pic.twitter.com/mmdgzVcetX
— Mike Holden (@MikeHoldenNews) January 17, 2019
Wednesday was not the first time police investigated an incident involving Rodgers and the girl.
In January 2018, Rodgers took the girl, his ex-girlfriend, from a school bus and put her in the back of an SUV and started beating her, Burton said. Rodgers then held her at a Wilkinsburg apartment for four days.
Rodgers had been placed on probation on Dec. 6, 2018. Burton said the probation was to last a full year.
6 a.m. UPDATE: Abduction suspect Jermaine Rodgers, 19, was arrested early Thursday morning after police received a tip that he was at a home on 28th Street in McKeesport.
SWAT officers moved in and were able to rescue the 16-year-old victim from the home. She had allegedly been taken from her home in Penn Hills Wednesday afternoon by Rodgers, who police said allegedly broke in and beat the girl.
The victim’s mother witnessed the attack on surveillance video, according to court documents.
Rodgers is the victim’s ex-boyfriend, police said.
During the standoff in McKeesport, authorities could be heard shouting for Rodgers to come out of the home with his hands up.
Rodgers was found hiding in a coal cellar by SWAT officers, officials said.
“Members of the SWAT team had to physically find him in the coal cellar,” Christopher Kearns, of Allegheny County Police, said. “It was under the front porch. They broke the window so they could see into the area and that’s where they saw him hiding.”
In addition to finding Rodgers and the victim in the home, authorities said a missing juvenile from Munhall was located. Further details were not immediately available.
The girl who was the subject of the earlier Amber Alert had injuries to her face and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Rodgers was taken to the Allegheny County Jail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 28 at 10 a.m.
JUST IN: 19-year-old Jermaine Rodgers in police custody after kidnapping ex-girlfriend, leading to SWAT situation. I was just told he has not been arraigned yet. His preliminary hearing is set for January 28th at 10 a.m. in Penn Hills. @WPXI pic.twitter.com/2jecoNvh58
— Mike Holden (@MikeHoldenNews) January 17, 2019
3:45 a.m. UPDATE: The teenage girl is safe and the suspect, Jermaine Rodgers, is in custody after a standoff in McKeesport. The girl has been taken to a hospital for treatment and Rodgers is being taken to the Allegheny County Jail.
#BREAKING: Penn Hills police tell me the suspect is in custody following a stand-off situation in Mckeesport. He is being brought to the Allegheny County Jail. Will be arraigned later this a.m. The victim is safe and has been taken to a local hospital for treatment. @WPXI
— Mike Holden (@MikeHoldenNews) January 17, 2019
2:18 p.m. UPDATE: The Amber Alert for the 16-year-old girl has been canceled. Channel 11 News is working to learn more details about where she was found and if she had any injuries.
11 p.m. UPDATE: Rodgers broke through the front door to get to the girl, according to a criminal complaint.
The girl attends Penn Hills High School.
Her stepfather told Channel 11 News her friend was also inside the home. She told police Rodgers had a gun, and police are working to confirm that.
10:45 p.m. UPDATE: The teenage girl is the niece of professional wrestler Kurt Angle. He posted to social media Wednesday night.
10:40 p.m. UPDATE: Rodgers has been accused of abducting the girl before, according to police.
He was arrested in 2018 for allegedly holding her against her will for several days inside a Wilkinsburg apartment.
9:45 p.m. UPDATE: Rodgers was armed when he allegedly abducted the girl, according to a criminal complaint.
According to the complaint, there is surveillance camera footage of the incident.
The girl’s friend was there when the alleged abduction happened. She told police there may have been a second person in the car with Rodgers.
It’s unclear if the victim in that case was the teenage girl for whom the Amber Alert has been issued.
8:40 p.m. UPDATE: The teenage girl’s stepfather told Channel 11 News her ex-boyfriend broke into their home today, beat her up, then took her from the house.
NEW: abducted teen’s stepdad tells me her ex boyfriend broke into their home today, beat her up, then took her from the house. @WPXI
— Gabriella DeLuca (@GabriellaDeLuca) January 17, 2019
8:30 p.m. UPDATE: An Amber Alert has been issued for a 16-year-old girl.
She’s a black female, 5’4″, weighing 140 pounds with long black hair and blond highlights.
She was wearing a gray long-sleeved shirt, light blue denim jeans and tan boots.
Jermaine LaQuay Rodgers, 19, is suspected of taking her. He’s a black male, 5′ 8″, weighing 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
He was last seen driving an older red sedan.
