Teacher’s Aide Abducted, Police Say

Police are searching for a 23-year-old man who allegedly took his ex-girlfriend from a South Los Angeles classroom at gunpoint Friday and whose parents were found shot to death in their home.

About 7:45 a.m., Joshua Vick walked into a classroom at the Hooper Early Education Center where Tesha Collins, 29, is a teacher’s aide, said Los Angeles Deputy Chief Gary Brennan. When she refused to leave with him, school officials said, Vick produced a handgun and pulled her by the arm out of the school and down 52nd Street.

Parents dropping off their children saw the man taking the teacher’s aide from the child-care center.

“None of the children knew what was going on,” said Sgt. Carlos Chung of the Los Angeles Unified School District police. “It was pretty nonchalant. Many people weren’t aware of what was happening.”

Searching for Vick and Collins, detectives went to his parents’ home in the 700 block of West Imperial Highway in South Los Angeles. There, they found homicide detectives, who were investigating the killing of Vick’s parents the night before.

Gable Vick, 54, and Mary Vick, 52, had been found shot to death inside the home shortly after midnight. Vick did not live with his parents, police said, but his hometown wasn’t available.

Brennan said police believe Vick and Collins, the mother of his child, left the area in a green Pontiac Grand Am or Grand Prix.

Vick is 5 feet 11 and 160 pounds, and was wearing a tan Louis Vuitton sweatsuit.

Collins is 5 feet 2 and 98 pounds, and was wearing a pink shirt and blue jeans.

Police “are taking steps to ensure the safety of her children and other family members,” Brennan said.

Vick should be considered armed and dangerous, he said.

Anyone who sees Vick or Collins should call the LAPD at (213) 485-2511 or (877) 529-3855, Brennan said.

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Times staff writer Erica Williams contributed to this report.