Vi Ripken, the mother of Bill Ripken and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., was kidnapped yesterday and released today, sans ransom note or any clue as to exactly why she was targeted.
The 74-year-old Vi, married to the late Cal Ripken Sr. until his death in 1999, spent a day in her car after a tall, thin white man with glasses wearing camouflage clothing forced her into her silver Lincoln Continental. She was found about 6:15 a.m. this morning in her car, parked in Aberdeen, after someone called police about a suspicious vehicle. From AP:
[Aberdeen Police Chief Henry Trabert] said Vi Ripken was “obviously upset” but would not give more details about how she was found. Trabert said the man drove around the area after the kidnapping, but didn’t say if Ripken was in the car.
“How we found her and what she was wearing and whether she was bound at the time we pulled her out of the car we are not releasing at this time,” Trabert said. “The investigators are still talking to her and witnesses to determine exactly what happened and where it happened.”
Vi Ripken is the founder of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. Cal Ripken Jr. is the well-known former Balitmore Oriole who broke Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played; both he and his brother Bill are involved in a variety of businesses, including ownership and part-ownership of three minor-league teams (including the Aberdeen Ironbirds), a design firm and youth tournaments.
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