BC

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The teen was kidnapped outside a mall in Maple Ridge, BC.

Tips from the public, crystal-clear surveillance video and a unique piece of jewelry have helped RCMP make an arrest in a violent abduction in Maple Ridge, B.C.

Ridge Meadows Mounties confirm a suspect was picked up late Tuesday night in connection with the Jan. 19 abduction of a 17-year-old girl outside a Maple Ridge mall, about 40 kilometres east of Vancouver.

Sgt. Peter Thiessen says a tip from the public was vital in leading police to the suspect, and investigators also relied on surveillance photos from mall businesses to help with identification.

A small, gold cross is also expected to become a key piece of evidence after it was ripped from the attacker's neck during a struggle with the victim.

The case began Saturday night when a man approached the 17-year-old outside the mall and asked for help starting his car.

When the girl agreed, the suspect pulled a gun and forced her to drive him to a quiet location where she was beaten, but managed to escape to a nearby home and call for help.