IN 2014, a surveillance camera caught the abduction of then-22-year-old Carlesha Gaither while she was walking home.
Now Lifetime is releasing a movie of the troubled incident — here’s everything we know about what happened to Carlesha.
Who is Carlesha Gaither?
Carlesha Freeland-Gaither is a Philadelphia native who was working as a nursing aide at Presbyterian Hospital at the time of the abduction.
Carlesha was living with her boyfriend at the time and was meant to call him so he could meet her six blocks out and walk with her home.
As per CBS News, her mom, Keisha Gaither called Carlesha “a fighter.”
“I can tell you one thing, she’s a fighter. She was not just giving up, she wasn’t just going to be taken,” Keisha said.
“She’s going to keep fighting to the end. She’s coming back to me.”
At the time, she was seen wearing a light blue jacket, a gray and white sweater, and carrying a black backpack.
What happened to Carlesha Gaither
On November 2, 2014, around 9:40 pm ET, Carlesha was walking home from visiting her godson.
While walking home, a man identified as Delvin Barnes grabbed Carlesha and dragged her into his Ford Taurus.
Carlesha tried to strike Barnes with a hammer found in a car but was unsuccessful.
A witness named Dwayne Fletcher tried to stop Barnes but he got away before he was able to.
Speaking with NBC10, Fletcher said: “He heard me because I was screaming, ‘Yo! You! What are you doing?! Yo, you!’ I don’t know if her screams overpowered mine, but [Barnes] was moving fast though.”
Though he wasn’t able to stop Barnes, he immediately called 911.
Carlesha was found three days later in Jessup, Maryland. During her rescue, Barnes was taken into custody.
According to the FBI agent in charge Ed Hanko, Carlesha was found in “good shape” with just a few injuries.
Authorities later revealed they were able to locate Carlesha because she left a trail of clues such as her cell phone, and gave Barnes her correct PIN for her debit card.
Detective Jim Sloan said: “We believe that… she left it there for us to find. She’s an intelligent girl.”
In 2016, Barnes was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Barnes revealed that he initially was going to rob Carlesha before things escalated.
His reasoning for the robbery was to get enough money to see his daughter in Virginia before he faced charges from a previous attack.
What is Abducted Off the Street: The Carlesha Gaither Story about?
Lifetime revealed they were releasing a movie that would re-tell the story of Carlesha Gaither’s fight to return home after being abducted.
The movie features Riele Downs as Carlesha, Kenya Moore as Keisha, and Sam Asante as Delvin.
The movie description reads: “Carlesha (Riele Downs) was walking home from a family gathering when she is forced into a car at knifepoint.
“Determined to survive and outsmart her captor, Carlesha leaves clues behind at every opportunity.
“Meanwhile, Carlesha’s mother, Keisha (Kenya Moore) stops at nothing to find her, making an impassioned plea to the media and working alongside a committed detective to rescue her before it’s too late.”
Where to watch Abducted Off the Street: The Carlesha Gaither Story?
Abducted Off the Street: The Carlesha Gaither Story is set to premiere on the Lifetime channel on February 10, 2024, at 10 pm ET.
The movie will also be available to stream the next day on the Lifetime app.
