Bloodhound Helps Niagara Falls Police Locate Woman Abducted, Chained In Basement

Police were able to locate a woman abducted on Sunday thanks to the inquisitive nose of a bloodhound.

The abduction occurred on Sunday night at the unnamed woman’s home in Niagara Falls, New York, when someone came up to her front door. When she answered the door, she was immediately assaulted and abducted while the police were called about something happening by the woman’s neighbors.

When Niagara Falls Police arrived at the woman’s home, they found blood and broken windows but no sign of the woman. They began searching the local area for her, relying on a bloodhound brought in to follow her scent. This led to another home, where the woman was located chained in the basement and no suspect in sight.

Police were able to identify the suspect as Michael Ciskiewic. Police revealed that Ciskiewic was the woman’s neighbor and had previously helped her with yard work. However, he had fled the scene before the woman was found, prompting a manhunt.

It was originally believed Ciskiewic was hiding out in his home but was later located in a nearby industrial park. What followed was a nearly 12-hour standoff between Ciskiewic, the police, and U.S. Marshals. The standoff was eventually resolved and Ciskiewic was taken into custody on charges of kidnapping, burglary, rape, assault, and menacing with a weapon.

Ciskiewic is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday while the woman has been released from the hospital and is recovering.