I-Team Investigation: Barnes Family Speaks Out About Accused Abductor's Violent Past
By Charlotte Huffman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The family of Delvin Barnes speaks out to Eyewitness News about the accused abductor's violent past.
"Delvin is a monster. He always has been a monster. I've always been scared of him … and I'm (upset) his family has tried to cover this whole thing up," a family member told Eyewitness News' Investigative Reporter, Charlotte Huffman on Thursday.
The relative asked to remain anonymous out of fear for her safety.
Lamar Barnes, the uncle of Delvin Barnes told Eyewitness News that he is not completely surprised that police have pinned Carlesha Freeland-Gaither's abduction on Barnes.
"I'm not going to say like everyone else that he's a good person just because he's my nephew. He's not a good person," said Lamar.
Freeland-Gaither, 22, was abducted Sunday night from a street in Germantown. The kidnapping was caught on tape by a surveillance camera.
Barnes is no stranger to violent crime and the criminal justice system. The 37-year-old has a lengthy criminal record.
In 2005, he was arrested in Philadelphia for aggravated assault, criminal trespass, false imprisonment, burglary and reckless endangerment.
Lamar says the assault victim in the 2005 case was Barnes' ex-wife.
"He's always had problems with girlfriends, ex-wife, things like that," said Lamar.
Barnes served concurrent sentences totaling more than seven years for the 2005 convictions. Upon his release, less than a year ago, Barnes went back to Charles City County, Virginia where his parents still live.
While in Virginia last month, police say Barnes abducted, raped and burned a 16-year-old girl.
In that case, police say the victim who went missing in early October, was found a few days later naked and bleeding with burns and smelling of gasoline.
Barnes reportedly hit the girl over the head with a shovel, threw her in the trunk of his car, drove her to his home and made her strip naked before terrorizing her. He is also said to have shown the teen photos of other girls he said he'd kidnapped.
It was two days after the Virginia kidnapping that the victim says Barnes began to dig a hole on his Charles City County property and asked her how she wanted to die. It was then, the victim said, that Barnes was distracted and she managed to escape.
The victim remains hospitalized.
"We're really a small, tight-knit community and something of this caliber almost never happens here. It's a shock to the community, I'm sure. It's a shock to me," said Charles City County Sheriff's Office's Captain James Crawley on Thursday during a press conference.
Barnes was supposed to be under parole supervision by Virginia authorities but managed to flee to Philadelphia after the alleged attempted murder.
Virginia authorities issued a warrant for Barnes for attempted capital murder.
"His sister called me a week ago and told me he did something in Virginia. So I assumed he'd come here because he has connections here. I told everyone to stay away from him," said Lamar.
Lamar told Eyewitness News he believed it was only a matter of time before Barnes would strike again.
Authorities believe Barnes randomly targeted Freeland-Gaither, but the investigation continues.
"My brother called my mother and said, 'Delvin has done something else,'" said Lamar.
After seeing the surveillance video of Freeland-Gaither's abduction, "I knew that was him," said Lamar.
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