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Woman charged with abducting girls at knifepoint in Manteno, police say

Woman charged with abducting 4 girls from park in Manteno
Woman charged with abducting 4 girls from park in Manteno 00:25

MANTENO, Ill. (CBS) – A woman was charged with kidnapping four girls at knifepoint in Manteno, Illinois, earlier this week.

Police arrested 47-year-old Anita Diaz of Manteno, and charged her with aggravated unlawful restraint.

On Monday, officers responded to a possible abduction and release of four girls.

The victims, between 13 and 16 years of age, were at Heritage Park around 2 p.m. when the woman, identified as Diaz, displayed a knife, threatened them, and forced them into her car, police said.

Diaz then took the victims to multiple locations in the Bourbonnais and Manteno areas, including her residence. She released them at the Square on Second park in Manteno shortly after 5 p.m.

At the time of the abduction, the victims - who were not reported missing - notified police about the abduction.

The girls were not hurt and returned to their parents, police said.

Diaz was located and taken into custody.

She was detained at the Jerome Combs Detention Center. 

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