Suspects Abduct Woman and Her Two Children; Multi-Jurisdictional Response Leads to Safe Recovery and Arrests
Update (May 11, 2026):
We would like to provide the following updates in response to recent developments and to address media inquiries we have received.
Working with the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force and the New York State Police, Amar Saleh was taken into custody earlier this morning on an arrest warrant. Deputies transported Amar to MCSO A-zone and,
Amar Abdulla Saleh, 26, of Rochester is charged with:
- Kidnapping in the Second Degree (Class B-Felony), 3 counts
Amar Saleh was taken to Monroe County Jail, where he awaits arraignment in CAP court.
At this time, there is no evidence to indicate there are additional suspects outstanding. This arrest culminates the extensive and persistent efforts of all agencies involved from the start on May 9, 2026, at 3:19 p.m., when 911 received a call from CPS for the reported abduction of three family members from a Perinton address. When deputies arrived, they located a witness corroborating the initial details CPS provided to 911.
From the start, the top priority was to safely locate the three family members alleged to have been taken against their will.
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Original Release (May 10, 2026):
On May 9, 2026, at 3:19 p.m., deputies were called to a home in Perinton for the report of an abduction of two children and their mother. Information received at the time of the call indicated the abduction was targeted by another family member with the intent to leave the area.
Deputies and investigators arrived at the home and worked to collect camera footage from residences in the surrounding area. From the video, we were able to obtain images of vehicles and people who may have been involved.
Numerous additional resources were quickly deployed as information was developed indicating the abducted individuals may be in danger.
Investigators notified several law enforcement agencies and our community partners to include the New York State Thruway Authority, Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport, and Canada Border Services Agency, to ensure they didn’t leave the area. In addition, NYSP Special Investigations Unit and their NYS Intelligence Center assisted with the AMBER Alert. A county-wide BOLO was also issued.
Thanks to these multi-jurisdictional efforts, intel led law enforcement officers to a residence in the City of Rochester where all three individuals were located uninjured.
During the course of this investigation, three individuals were taken into custody and transported to MCSO A-Zone for questioning. As a result, deputies charged the following:
Gamil S. Ahmed, 31, and Omar Saleh, 30, both of Rochester, and Dajour L. Paul, 26, of Brooklyn, with:
- Kidnapping in the Second Degree (Class B-Felony), 3 counts each
Following the arrest, all three individuals were transported to Monroe County CAP court and are awaiting arraignment.
The investigation is ongoing as we continue to search for Amar Saleh and determine the circumstances leading up to this incident. Anyone with information on Saleh’s whereabouts is asked to call 911. The sedan pictured in the BOLO has been recovered.
In no particular order, we would like to extend our gratitude to the following agencies for their swift response and teamwork during the incident:
FBI Buffalo Field Office
New York State Police and their SIU – Rochester and Buffalo
Rochester Police Department
Town of Greece Police Department
Town of Irondequoit Police Department
MCSO K9, Drone Response Team, and SWAT
RIOC
MCSO Crime Victims Specialists
New York State Thruway Authority
Monroe County District Attorney’s Office
Child Advocacy Center of Rochester
Child Protective Services
Canada Border Services Agency
U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force
Local community members
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Deputy David Marcucci
Public Information Officer
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
MCSOCommunications@monroecounty.gov
(585) 753-4840