Couple charged with kidnapping woman and forcing sex acts

NEW YORK (WABC) -- A couple was charged with abducting a deaf woman off a Brooklyn street, driving her around for hours and attempting to force her to perform sex acts.

But the 28-year-old was able to break away from her captors and run into a post office. Meanwhile, the suspects were caught in a police chase on the Jackie Robinson Parkway.

The victim, who is from another state and was staying with family in Brooklyn, was pulled off the street in East New York sometime between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. yesterday morning.

Police say the suspects drove her around for hours, attempting to force her into at least one house to act as a prostitute. When she refused, the couple allegedly beat her.

The woman finally escaped during a struggle in Bedford Stuyvesant just after 9 a.m., which was caught by a nearby surveillance camera.

She ran into a nearby post office, and Postal Police took her to the 81 Precinct stationhouse.

The woman was able to give a description of the suspects' car, and police spotted it at the Imperial Hotel on East New York Avenue at around 11:30 a.m.

Police chased the vehicle onto the Jackie Robinson Parkway, where they took the suspects into custody on the roadway.

Under arrest is 25-year-old Steven Benoit of Elmont who is charged with kidnapping, robbery, assault, criminal obstruction of breathing, and menacing.

19-year-old Jasmine Wilkins of Norfolk, Va., was also charged with kidnapping and robbery.

The woman was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

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