The 20-year-old Abington Township waitress -- who was willing to fall out of a moving car to get away from her kidnapper -- saved her own life, police say.
“This was one of the most vicious attacks that we’ve ever seen of this type,” Abington Township Police Chief Bill Kelly said. “We were anxious to get Mr. McNeil off the streets because he was truly a hazard to our community and to the whole greater Philadelphia area.”
Kelly has no doubt that the woman who was pepper-sprayed, blindfolded and held at knife point while abducted from a Blockbuster parking lot early Sunday morning would have been murdered if she did not fight her way out of the car Reginald McNeill was driving.
“Our investigators are convinced that had she not fought so valiantly that she would have been a homicide victim,” Kelly said.
McNeill, 50, approached the woman at 1 a.m. Sunday when she was walking to her car after her shift at the nearby Kitchen Bar restaurant. McNeill demanded $800 and the woman gave him more than $300, as well as her ATM cards, police say.
The money did not get rid of McNeill and after a five-minute struggle at the woman’s driver-side door, the ex-con forced her into the car and drove into North Philly. According to court documents, the woman said McNeill asked her repeatedly if she wanted to be raped and also threatened to kill her.
On Wednesday, McNeill denied any homicidal plans.
“No, I wasn’t going to rape nobody or kill nobody. Just needed money,” McNeill told NBC Philadelphia. “I don’t know, I was stupid.”
When McNeill slapped a handcuff on the woman’s wrist, she made a last attempt to escape by leaping over him, pounding on the horn and rolling out of the car while he was behind the wheel.
“There’s no question in our minds that it was because she fought so valiantly and with such determination over such an extended period of time,” said Kelly. “[She] did not give in to all of the things he was doing to control her and eventually fell out of a moving car just to get away from him-- gives you the idea that it was because of this tenacity that she is alive today.”
McNeill was released from prison last spring after serving 30 years for rape and robbery convictions. His criminal record goes back 34 years, in which he’s been arrested on multiple rape, robbery and burglary charges.
“He has spent over half of his life in jail up to this point,” said Kelly. “He’s only been out a short while and he has committed this incredible crime – this violent crime – and we are just so happy to have him incarcerated and off the streets.”
McNeill was arrested in Philadelphia Tuesday night after two anonymous callers told police where he could be found. He is now being held on $1 million cash bail.
Kelly made a plea that anyone who was victim to McNeill call police.
“We want to make sure that this individual is put away for as long a period of time as possible because he truly is a hazard to our community,” said Kelly.
