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PHILADELPHIA(JULY 25 AP) — The rumor* going around
7-year-old Erica Pratt's neighborhood was that her family had
come into a lot of money.
Neighbors thought maybe that's why two men had snatched*
the little girl from the sidewalk in front of her home Monday
night and someone had called the family demanding $150,000 in
exchange for Erica's life.
Whatever the motive*, the plot* was foiled Tuesday night.
Just about everyone on the street had heard stories the
family might have come into money. Some said the girl's uncle
had died, leaving behind a lucrative* life insurance policy*.
Others said a relative who owned a record label had just
signed a contract with Death Row Records, a major label.
Both stories had elements of truth. One of the girl's
uncles was shot dead in his car in March. But family members
said there was no life insurance.
Another uncle is the chief executive of an independent
rap record label, and had briefly been in talks with
Death Row, but no deal and no financial windfall* was in the
works.
Authorities said Erica described an extraordinary
getaway* from the two men:
She was bound with duct* tape around her arms, legs and
eyes and left in the dirty basement of a building 10 miles
from home. She was able to break through the basement door and
go up to the first floor. Unable to escape, she smashed a
window and called out for help to some children playing in
front of the abandoned house.
The children pulled Erica out of the window, and one of
them rode their bike to alert* the police, Lt. Michael
Chitwood said.
Quesitons:
Write T for True and F for False according to the
article:
1. The kidnapped girl's family was rich.
2. The girl escaped successfully Tuesday night.
3. It was the rumors that led the kidnappers to
snatch the girl for money.
4. The girl was resuced by police.
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