Delvin Barnes indicted in Philadelphia kidnapping case

Delvin Barnes, who is accused of kidnapping 22-year-old Carlesha Freeland-Gaither in Philadelphia this month, was indicted Wednesday in the case.

The indictment by a federal grand jury says Barnes “knowingly, willfully and unlawfully seized, confined, kidnapped, abducted, carried away and held [her] … for the purpose of gaining a personal benefit” and transported the victim across state lines, from Pennsylvania to Maryland.

If convicted, Barnes faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Police have said that on Nov. 2, 37-year-old Barnes grabbed Freeland-Gaither, who struggled and kicked out a car window on a widely seen surveillance video.

Barnes was arrested Nov. 5 after police found him lying next to Freeland-Gaither in the backseat of his Ford Taurus in Jessup, Md.

Days earlier, authorities in Virginia had used DNA evidence to link Barnes to the brutal kidnapping and rape of a 16-year-old Richmond girl and issued a warrant on six felony counts for his arrest.

Times staff writer Christine Mai-Duc contributed to this report.

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