Olivia Ambrose: Missing Boston woman found alive, man charged with kidnapping
A 23-year-old woman last seen Saturday night has been found alive in Charlestown, Massachusetts, nearly a mile from where she was out with friends three days prior.
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Boston Police arrested 38-year-old Victor Pena after an extensive investigation, leading them to find Olivia Ambrose in the suspect's apartment in Charlestown. According to police, Olivia was standing inside the apartment near the suspect when they entered.
Pena has been charged with kidnapping. Additional charges may follow, but at this time the investigation is ongoing and further information has not been released.
Boston Police Commissioner William Gross credited the public for providing tips to law enforcement during their investigation, to ultimately find Olivia.
"Great teamwork today. This is what we mean in community policing. The entire village showed up for this one," Gross said during a press conference on Tuesday night.
Olivia was last seen outside Hennessey's Bar in downtown Boston around 11 p.m. Saturday night, January 19. She had been out with her twin sister, Francesca, and some friends after moving to the city recently. She works for Toast, a Boston software company, and had just relocated to Jamaica Plain.
But Olivia, or Liviy, wasn't heard from the next morning and hadn't been seen since.
Boston Police said earlier in the day they were searching for a man caught on surveillance footage with Ambrose.
WFXT Security Analyst Dan Linskey said police had located the man seen in surveillance at the same place Olivia was found after he was recognized by law enforcement when his photo was released.
It was just an hour and a half after the photo was released that he was found.
The following timeline was released to accompany surveillance pictures.
- 11:04 PM: Ms. Ambrose is seen leaving a bar located at 25 Union Street (Hennessy's) with a white male who has since been determined to not be involved in her disappearance.
- 11:42 PM: Approximately 40 minutes later, two unknown males are observed inviting Ms. Ambrose to walk with them in the area of Congress Street and State Street. One of the males appears to walk ahead while the second male places his arm around Ms. Ambrose and directs her towards the State Street MBTA Station.
- 12:01 AM: Approximately 20 minutes later, additional video shows Ms. Ambrose being accompanied by that same male, still with his arm around her, exiting the Bunker Hill Community MBTA Station in Charlestown. The other male party is no longer observed in any surveillance video moving forward.
- 12:13 AM: Approximately 10 minutes later, Ms. Ambrose and the unknown male are observed again in the area of Green Street walking together towards Bartlett Street. A short time later, phone records indicate Ms. Ambrose's phone was in the general area of the Bunker Hill Housing Development.
Police found her in the area where she has been reportedly last captured on surveillance video with the man seen in the pictures.
"It is obvious from the surveillance video that she did not go along willingly," Gross said.
Investigators searched fields, school hallways and grounds, and even dumpsters to find Olivia, Gross said.
Boston Police say Olivia was taken to a hospital to be evaluated.
The Ambrose family released a statement Tuesday evening, thanking the efforts of the Boston Police department and all others involved in finding Olivia.
"The Ambrose family is so grateful for the monumental efforts of the Boston Police Department and the MBTA and Transit police who have worked tirelessly over the last three days to bring Olivia home. They also want to thank all of the staff at Hennessey's Bar who have been so helpful since Olivia went missing. The Ambrose family is also so appreciative of all the efforts, prayers and good wishes of their friends, family and complete strangers who have helped in the efforts to find Olivia. And finally, they want to thank Olivia's co-workers at Toast who sprang into action and were instrumental in getting the word out. The family is overjoyed."
