Kurt Angle’s Niece Saved From Abductor After Tip From Facebook Live Video

Kurt Angle posted a plea for help on his Facebook page and his niece was later recovered safely.

A 16-year-old Pennsylvania girl, the niece of WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, was recovered safely after being abducted by an armed ex-boyfriend, according to WPXI. 

Pennsylvania state police issued an Amber Alert Wednesday night after the girl, Marjani Aquil, was taken from her home in Penn Hills, east of Pittsburgh. Aquil’s ex-boyfriend, 19-year-old Jermaine Rodgers, broke into her home, beat her, dragged her outside and threw her into a car, police say. 

Angle, 50, posted a message on his Facebook page asking followers to call police if they had any information on his niece’s whereabouts. 

Aquil was located early Thursday morning after a person called police and said she had seen Aquil and the kidnapper on a Facebook Live video, Penn Hills police chief Howard Burton said. 

Police were able to locate the home where Aquil was being held using information from the Facebook video and Rodgers was arrested by a SWAT team after a two-hour standoff. 

“My niece has been found,” Angle posted on Thursday morning. “Just wanted to say thank you to all those who have prayed and have shared posts to help locate her. Thank you to the Pittsburgh Police for your persistence in finding my niece. My family is truly appreciative. Love you all.”

Aquil’s father told CBS Pittsburgh that she suffered a broken eye socket and would need surgery. 

Rodgers was previously convicted of kidnapping Aquil in January 2018 and was sentenced in December to one year probation. He was due in court Thursday afternoon.