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Deontae Mitchell Amber Alert: Police Identify Suspect In Detroit Teen’s Abduction

By Patricia Ramirez
Published on: 16:43 PST, Jun 1, 2016

Police issued an Amber Alert in the abduction of Deontae Mitchell just before 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Now, they have released the name of the man suspected of kidnapping the 13-year-old Detroit boy, as well as still photos taken from surveillance footage that appear to show the suspect brandishing a silver handgun. The video was recorded moments before Deontae Mitchell was taken.

As the Inquisitr previously reported, Deontae Mitchell was abducted late Tuesday night and reported missing at about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday; the circumstances surrounding his disappearance led authorities to issue an Amber Alert.

Deontae Mitchell’s mom, friends, extended family, and community have hoped the 13-year-old would be safely back in his home this evening; but, so far, authorities have been unable to track him down. Nor have they seen the man who is believed to have abducted the teen. The suspect has now been identified by law enforcement as Gregory Walker, 45, of Detroit, reports The Detroit News.

Police caught a glimpse of the man they believe snatched Deontae when they reviewed the surveillance camera footage from Nino’s Market at 15901 E. Warren, the location where Deontae first interacted with his alleged abductor.

Check out the grainy images of the suspect.

Deontae Mitchell
[Photo by Detroit Police Department]
deontae mitchell amber alert
[Photo by Detroit Police Department]
Prior to his abduction and the related Amber Alert, Deontae Mitchell reportedly encountered the man now identified as Walker in the parking lot of Nino’s Market at around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday. Deontae was there riding bikes with his cousin when the pair saw a drunk man urinating outside the store. The man reportedly dropped money on the ground in the process.

According to Deontae’s cousin, Deontae Mitchell picked up the money.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig said that upon reviewing the surveillance video, the suspect can be seen chasing either one or both of the boys away from the market, and that he was armed with a weapon. Ultimately, the surveillance video clearly shows Walker grab Deontae Mitchell and force him into a car.

“The suspect grabbed his arm and forced him into rear passenger side. That’s what we saw on the video.”

According to law enforcement, there could have been another passenger in the Impala that drove away with Deontae Mitchell, but they aren’t certain. The car also reportedly had a large rear spoiler, which could help with identification of the vehicle.

Authorities ultimately issued an Amber Alert not long after Deontae was reported missing, because they feared the teen was abducted and in danger.

According to Chief Craig, authorities don’t know whether or not the abduction of Deontae Mitchell is related to the money the teen reportedly picked up off the ground.

“There’s been lots of speculation that this was over some money the suspect may have lost, but that is certainly no reason to abduct a 13-year-old, a child.”

The police say that Walker is African American, has a muscular build, and according to the Amber Alert, is roughly 5-feet 9-inches tall, and between 185 to 190 pounds. He is considered armed (authorities believe his handgun is a nickel-plated revolver) and extremely dangerous.

Anyone who has any information about the whereabouts of Deontae Mitchell, any information about his abduction, knows where Gregory Walker is or has seen him since late Tuesday night should call 911 or contact Detroit police at (313) 596-5521 or (313) 596-1616.

Per the Amber Alert, Mitchell is also African American. He is 13-years-old, has black hair and hazel eyes, is 4-feet 11-inches tall and 86 pounds.

At the time of his abduction, the teen was wearing gray jogging pants, black tennis shoes and a lime-green Nautica shirt.

Deontae Mitchell’s mother hasn’t heard from her son since his abduction.

Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,500 reward for information that leads to Deontae’s recovery. Anyone who wants to submit an anonymous tip in the case can do so by contacting Crime Stoppers. This can be done texting CSM and the information to CRIMES (274637), by visiting www.1800speakup.org, or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) SPEAK-UP.

The Amber Alert in the case of Deontae Mitchell is still active, and law enforcement is hopeful that the Detroit teen can be brought home safely.

[Photo by Detroit Police Department]

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