Cheektowaga Woman Escapes Kidnapper, 'Knew It Was Life Or Death'

A Cheektowaga woman who was thinking on her feet was able to escape a man who kidnapped her. She told WKBW, “I knew it was life or death, I knew I would not walk out of that situation alive.”

The woman, named Kelly Lynn on Facebook shared the situation on her page.

"Last night I went downtown to have a few drinks with friends at Lucky Day. I drove home around 1:30am and was attacked in my driveway in Cheektowaga getting out of my car. A 30-40 year old middle eastern man driving a gray SUV grabbed me and threw me into the backseat of his car. I screamed that he better be prepared to kill me before I would ever let him kidnap me. I fought hard, scratching for DNA. But I was trapped and he started to drive away. I grabbed the wheel and caused his car to crash. He unlocked the doors and I ran as fast as I could."

Erie County District Attorney's Office

The 24-year-old suspect, Abel Gebrehawaria, was arraigned on Friday, April 5, 2024, before Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan according to Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane. He has been charged with one count of Kidnapping in the Second Degree.

The victim was able to escape the harrowing situation by grabbing the wheel of Gebrehawarias's car, causing it to crash into a curb. Gebrehawaria then unlocked the doors and Lynn was able to escape and call the Cheektowaga police.

Gebrehawaria was remanded without bail. If he is convicted of Kidnapping, he faces a maximum of 25 years behind bars.