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Pocono News Section
Community Reacts to Kidnapping and Rape
Community Reacts to Kidnapping and Rape - Wednesday, August 6, 2008 at 3:46PM EST
Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Wednesday, Aug 6, 2008 @ 03:46pm EST
PRICE TOWNSHIP - A day after police say a Monroe County man kidnapped and raped a teenager, his community can't believe it happened.
Sometimes the most peaceful looking places can hold the most dangerous people. On Wooddale Road in Price Township fawns play and trees are more common than traffic.
"It's pretty quiet. It's nice," said Jennifer Rementer.
But it wasn't quiet or nice Tuesday morning when someone kidnapped a teenage girl.
Rementer said, "Its' kinda scary. It's freaky actually."
Police say Derek Bengtsson threatened to kill the 14 year old if she didn't leave her home with him. He then took the girl to the Budget Host Inn, in Stroudsburg and allegedly raped her.
The child escaped and called police. That led to a standoff where officers eventually arrested Bengtsson. He's 27 and told police he lives on Wooddale Road.
Eyewitness News talked to several people who live around the area and they all said the same thing; they've never seen, talked to or even heard of the suspect.
"The neighbors are so far away you can't even see their porch lights. Everything's pretty spaced out," said Allen Frost.
Now some people who live in the area worry maybe their sanctuary away from city life isn't as safe as they thought.
Frost said, "My daughter plays in the front yard and on the side here. It makes me a little nervous."
He also said he's noticed some strange activity at the place Bengtsson called home. He explained, "Quite a few kids come and go all day long, sometimes late at night."
But he can't say for sure whether that had anything to do with the kidnapping. He does know he'll try to pay more attention to what his neighbors and his kids are doing. | |
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