COPS SEEK VAN MAN IN ABDUCT TRIES

Queens detectives continued their hunt yesterday for a man who tried to force a 35 year old woman and a 16 year old girl into a black van at gunpoint Thursday.  He drove the van onto a sidewalk in front a the woman at 35th Ave. and Linden Place in Flushing, pointed a revolver at her and ordered her into the van at 2:55 p.m.  The woman ran south on the boulevard and the man drove off.  About 45 minutes later, the man stopped the van in front of the teenager at 221st St. and 41st Ave. in Bayside, pointed a gun at her and shouted, Don't run...get in the van, police said.  The girl ran toward a passing car, whose driver let her in and gave her a cell phone to call 911.  The gunman sped away and almost hit another car.  The suspect is described as white or Hispanic, 25 to 30 years old, with a beard and mustache.  He was wearing a black knit hat and a black jacket with orange lining.  The van is a black Ford Astro with purple and pink pinstriping along the bottom.  Police have offered a $2,000 reward for information leading to the suspect's arrest and conviction.  Anyone with information is asked to call (800) 577-TIPS.

(New York)