A Michigan gas station clerk is being credited with helping rescue a 16-year-old girl who had been abducted at gunpoint earlier in the morning, according to local authorities and witness accounts, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
The incident began just after 7 a.m. Monday in Hamtramck, where the teenage girl was waiting at a school bus stop when a stranger approached and forced her into a vehicle at gunpoint.
Hamtramck Police Chief Hussein Farhat told WXYZ that the suspect then drove off with the girl, initiating a search effort.
A courageous Michigan gas station clerk helped save a teenage girl who was abducted by a gun-toting stranger with a history of rape allegations while walking to her school bus stop. https://t.co/IRUtBeLNhh [2]
— Wintery Knight (@Wintery_Knight) April 16, 2026 [3]
Approximately 30 minutes later, the suspect entered a Sunoco gas station with the girl still under his control. According to reports, the man asked the clerk for cigarettes and instructed the teen to pay for them.
That interaction quickly raised concerns for the employee behind the counter.
“When he ask her to pay for the cigarettes, I stop and go, ‘There’s something wrong.’ And she mouthed talked to me, like with no sound, ‘Help,’” store clerk Abdulrahman Abohatem told the local station.
Recognizing the situation, Abohatem moved from behind the protective barrier and took action. He confronted the suspect directly and positioned himself between the man and the teenager.
“I go out, I kick him out, I ask the girl [to] go behind me,” Abohatem recalled.
At the same time, other students who had witnessed the initial abduction were assisting law enforcement. Authorities were able to track the girl’s phone, which led responding officers to the gas station location.
Police vehicles arrived as the situation inside the store was unfolding.
Abohatem said he immediately alerted officers upon seeing them outside the business.
“I see the police outside. I point to him. I go, ‘That’s the guy,’” he said.
Officers took the suspect into custody at the scene without further incident. Police said the man has a history of rape charges. Authorities also confirmed that the victim and the suspect did not know each other prior to the incident.
“This is a random incident. This suspect could have driven anywhere, saw the opportunity and took advantage of it,” Farhat said.
The suspect is expected to be arraigned on Thursday, according to the Detroit News.
The teen was safely recovered and removed from the situation. Abohatem later reflected on his actions, emphasizing the urgency he felt in the moment.
“I feel good when you save somebody. Sixteen years old — she is child,” he said.