“Snatched” Teen Found With Family

Police say the girl was trying to avoid a family move to Florida

Police have found a teenage girl who was thought to have been abducted from a busy shopping area in Stafford County, Va.

Her family dragged her into their minivan -- kicking and screaming -- because she was trying to avoid a move to Florida, the Stafford County Sheriff's Office said.

The scene was caught on surveillance tape around 11:25 a.m. Saturday at the Target near Warrenton Road, just off Interstate 95.

The tape shows the 17-year-old walking through the parking lot in front of the main entrance when suddenly a dark mini-van pulls up next to her with its sliding door open. A man then jumps out of the driver’s seat and grabs the girl. He pulls her into the van with the help of two women while she kicks and screams.

Several witnesses called 911 right away, and authorities issued a nationwide Amber Alert.

The van was found around 12:20 a.m. Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville Police said the family stopped in Stafford County on the way to a move to Ft. Lauderdale. The girl apparently didn't want to go, and her family forced her into the van so they could continue their trip, police said.

The family is now in Ft. Lauderdale, the Stafford County Sheriff's Office said.

The incident is still under investigation, authorities said. The commonwealth's attorney in Stafford County will be meeting with the sheriff's office to determine whether the family will be facing charges.

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