The young woman who was abducted on the streets of Philadelphia is alive and well and everyone is asking how she managed to survive. INSIDE EDITION has the latest.
She's alive! Now everyone wants to know, how did the brave nurse survive three terrifying days with a vicious kidnapper?
Twenty-two-year-old Carlesha Freeland-Gaither was rescued from a car in a shopping mall parking lot in Jessup, Maryland 115 miles from where she was abducted in Philadelphia.
Freeland-Gaither apparently used pure instinct and good common sense skills to stay alive.
INSIDE EDITION's Diane McInerney spoke to Wallace Zeins, formerly of the NYPD hostage negotiating team. He said there's something all of us can learn from Freeland-Gaither's ordeal.
McInerney asked Zeins, "What do you think she did to stay alive?"
Zeins replied, "Well, first of all I think the most important thing was that she was able to gather her senses and say to herself, 'I'm going to get out of this alive.' She realized that her life was in danger, and the only way to get out of it was to go along with the program, be a good listener, don't antagonize your kidnapper, don't do anything that is going to be argumentative."
See Other Safety Tips Zeins Gave INSIDE EDITION
Here are the Dos and Don'ts of surviving: Speak only when spoken to, don't cry, do not grovel beg or become hysterical, don't challenge your abductor, and speak respectfully.
McInerney asked, "You shouldn't beg, you shouldn't grovel. How should you treat that kidnapper?"
"You should treat that kidnapper like royalty. That royalty is the most important thing, that's the key to saving your life," answered Zeins.
Freeland-Gaither is home again at a town home in Philadelphia, surrounded by family, and recovering from her harrowing ordeal. She had only minor injuries when she was rescued. That rescue happened because of an extraordinary stroke of good fortune.
The very car in which Freeland-Gaither was abducted also helped save her. Alleged kidnapper 37-year Delvin Barnes had such a bad credit history that the dealership where he bought his car installed a GPS system in the steering column so they could track it down and repossess it if necessary.
The GPS device was manufactured by PassTime USA.
The CEO, Stan Schwarz, told INSIDE EDITION, "They can basically track the vehicle within ten to fifteen feet of where the vehicle is actually located, in most cases."
Cops used the system to locate the car at a shopping mall in Maryland, and saw Freeland-Gaither and her abductor in the rear seat.
Philadelphia police commissioner Charles Ramsey said, "She's a fighter, I think that's really what basically saved her life."
Delvin Barnes is expected to face kidnapping and assault charges. He was also wanted for an attempted murder charge in Virginia.
