Suspect charged with kidnapping in connection with disappearance of 23-year-old Philadelphia woman: police

A suspect has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a 23-year-old nursing assistant in Philadelphia who was allegedly harassed by an unknown individual before disappearing. However, the search for the missing woman continues, Philadelphia police said.

Kada Scott was last seen by her mother on Oct. 4 as she left for work at a nearby nursing home, police said last week. On Wednesday, police said Keon King, 21, has been charged with kidnapping “for his role” in Scott’s disappearance.

While King is in custody in connection with Scott’s disappearance, officials said there is still “a lot of work” to be done in the investigation and that they are “still treating this as if Ms. Scott were still alive.”

“The number one priority is locating Ms. Scott,” John M. Stanford, first deputy commissioner of field operations for the Philadelphia Police Department, said Wednesday.

Scott arrived at work on Oct. 4, but left before completing her shift and has not been seen since, Philadelphia police Capt. John Craig said during a news conference last week. It was unclear what time Scott left work, but officials said his shift was normally from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Scott was reported missing to police on October 5, and authorities said they had “some concern, more than usual” regarding her disappearance due to the concerning phone calls she was receiving.

“In the days leading up to her disappearance, Ms. Scott told her family and friends that an unknown individual had been harassing her by telephone,” Craig said last week.

Officials were able to recover Scott’s vehicle, which was located in the parking lot of the nursing home where he worked, Craig said.

On Wednesday, officials said evidence shows Scott was “in communication with an individual,” identified as King, and that she appeared to meet with him “very shortly after” leaving work on Oct. 4.

“Mr. King is the last person we believe was in contact with her when she went offline,” Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Ashley Kozlowski said during a news conference Wednesday.

Police said they are asking the public for help in locating the suspect’s vehicle, a 1999 metallic gold Toyota Camry with a Pennsylvania license plate MSX-0797, which they believe Scott may have been in.

Authorities said Wednesday that the car has “damage to the front of the left front bumper” and “could be anywhere.”

King has “a little pattern of this type of story,” as he was involved in a case earlier this year in which he was accused of kidnapping and strangling an “acquaintance,” authorities said. The case was dismissed after a witness failed to appear in court, but Kozlowski said Wednesday that “they made the decision to refile those charges.”

On Tuesday, police told ABC News the investigation was being led by the Homicide Unit, but said they were not characterizing it as a homicide investigation.

The 23-year-old’s father, Kevin Scott, told ABC News that the family remains confident that “she will be with us as soon as possible.”

“It’s been difficult, extremely difficult. We’re keeping faith that she’s okay and that she’ll be with us as soon as possible, that they’ll find her and hopefully they won’t hurt her. I’m going to keep that positive vibe going,” Kevin Scott told ABC News.

Tommy Foster and Sabina from ABC News Ghebremedhin contributed to this report.