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Ripken’s mother abducted, found

ABERDEEN, MD. — Cal Ripken Jr.’s 74-year-old mother was found with her hands bound in the back seat of her car Wednesday after being kidnapped at gunpoint a day earlier at her home outside Baltimore and driven around blindfolded by her abductor, police and neighbors said.

Investigators do not know the kidnapper’s motive and there was no ransom demand for Vi Ripken’s release, Aberdeen Police Chief Henry Trabert said at a news conference.

The gunman forced Ripken into her silver Lincoln Continental between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Tuesday, police said. She was found bound and unharmed but shaken about 6:15 a.m. Wednesday near her home in Aberdeen, about 30 miles northeast of Baltimore.

When asked if police believe the kidnapper knew who he was abducting, Trabert did not answer, saying investigators don’t know the motive or if the suspect has any ties to the Ripken family.

A next-door neighbor said Vi Ripken told him her kidnapper didn’t seem to know that her son was the Hall of Fame infielder nicknamed “Iron Man” for playing in 2,632 consecutive games during his 21-year career with the Baltimore.

Gus Kowalewski said he spoke with Vi Ripken later Wednesday morning. The 72-year-old retired autoworker said Ripken told him the gunman tied her hands and put a blindfold on her, but said he wouldn’t hurt her.

“He lit cigarettes for her, they stopped for food,” Kowalewski said. “He said, ‘I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to take you back,’ and that’s what he did.”

Kowalewski said Ripken told him the gunman originally planned to put tape over her eyes.

“But he didn’t do that because she said ‘please don’t do that ‘cause I’m claustrophobic,’” he said.

Instead, the gunman put some type of mask or blinders on her, and she could see somewhat out the sides, he said.

Ripken told her neighbor the gunman also didn’t seem to know she was part of the Ripken family, who is well-known throughout the Baltimore area and to baseball fans all over.

“He said he just wanted money and her car,” Kowalewski said.

Three years after voluntarily ended his Iron Man streak, Ripken Jr. retired in 2001. He and is the chairman and founder of Ripken Baseball Inc., which he runs along with his brother, Bill.

He owns three minor-league baseball teams, including the Single A IronBirds based at the Ripken Baseball complex in Aberdeen, a middle-class area of about 15,000 people. Kowalewski said Ripken told him the gunman asked her about items in the car related to the Ironbirds and did not seem to know about the team.

“This has been a very trying time for our family, but we are grateful and relieved that mom is back with us, safe and healthy,” the Ripken family said in a statement. “We want to thank everyone for their tremendous support, especially all of the law enforcement agencies that worked so hard and quickly.”