Thanks to her phone’s GPS, an actress has been located by police after vanishing into thin air. During questioning, she shared details about her alleged abduction and denied hoax allegations.
Long Li Sha is a 22-year-old Chinese actress who has appeared in online short films. She is also a student, attending the Communication University of China as a Music Play major. In late February, Li Sha was reported missing after she traveled from Beijing to the city of Weinan to join a film project.
Li Sha told police that her kidnappers–a group of about 10 people–had reactivated and returned her phone before delivering her to the train station where she was found. Li Sha denied rumors that her kidnapping was a publicity stunt, explaining that the kidnapping had occurred after she arrived in Weinan.
According to Li Sha, a member of the film crew brought her to a temporary place to stay–an acquaintance’s home–telling her that the crew couldn’t afford a hotel. She agreed to the arrangement after being told that she would be staying in a hotel when they traveled to Xi’an, a city about one hour away from Weinan.
After Li Sha vanished, speculation about her well-being circulated online as the people in her life began to suspect that something strange was going on. They found it odd, for instance, that her phone’s GPS had been disabled and her camera had been turned off during a video call.
Because of this, Li Sha’s kidnappers allegedly forced her to record a video for her friends and family. In it, she asked them to remove posts about her disappearance and told them she was safe. Even so, Li Sha’s family filed a missing person report with Beijing’s Chaoyang district police. So did her university.
At this time, it’s unclear if the social media attention or the missing person reports led to Li Sha’s alleged kidnappers releasing her. In a video message, Li Sha expressed her gratitude to her friends, fans, and the police for their concern. She has been reunited with her family.