The woman was described as black, in her late 20s, 5 feet 5 to 5 feet 8 and thin, with light, possibly green, eyes, police said. She might be pregnant and was wearing a black burqa. She identified herself to the little girl as Rashida, Darby said. She told the school her name was Tiffany.
The male accomplice is believed to be in his mid-30s, possibly white, with a light complexion and short brown hair. He wore sweatpants and a long-sleeved blue T-shirt at the time of the abduction, police said.
Meanwhile, the school's front-desk aide, who was supposed to direct visitors to the principal's office, has been reassigned, a school spokesman said.
Darby said police had identified a target area around the school, from 56th Street west to Cobbs Creek Parkway and from Spruce Street south to Christian, where officers on Wednesday went door-to-door handing out bulletins describing the kidnappers and soliciting tips in the case - which has stymied investigators.
Darby appealed to the public for information leading to the arrest of Na'illa's captors, and said the Fraternal Order of Police is offering a $5,000 reward for the arrest of one or both of them, and the Citizens Crime Commission has put up an additional $5,000 for the arrest and conviction of the two. Nelson Mandela Myers, the man who found Na'illa, will receive a separate $10,000 reward from the city, the Mayor's Office said Tuesday.
"This was an egregious crime. Obviously the community should be outraged," Darby said. "We're asking them to channel that toward a focus on these two persons that we've described."
Police continued to extensively interview relatives of the little girl, and brought her father in to be reinterviewed Wednesday, a law-enforcement source said.
"This little girl suffered conditions that no child should endure," Darby said. "I think the focus should be on the two individuals that are involved with this. . . . We're asking the community to take a look as well, provide any tips, any information, anonymously to the investigators here, and we will work on those."
As police converged on the West Philly neighborhood, one question lingered in the minds of many residents, including 17-year-old Keisha Green: Why?
"Why would they leave some little girl outside [half-]naked? Why would you do that to somebody's child?" Green asked as she walked her 7-year-old brother home from nearby Anderson Elementary. "I just don't understand. That's crazy."
Although police say the woman targeted Na'illa, that did little to allay concerns of some parents in the school's neighborhood.
"The world is very dangerous and it makes you feel unsafe," said Monee Horton, 22, a mother of a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old.
Horton said that seven years ago, she was abducted from the area by two men while walking to the store. Like Na'illa, Horton escaped, but she said Monday's abduction brought back haunting memories and has made her clutch her children even tighter.
"It wasn't that far [from where I was taken]," she said. "I'm just very fearful and very cautious. It doesn't make me feel safe in my own neighborhood with my kids."
Tipsters can call 215-685-3251 or text a tip to PPD TIP (773847).
- Staff writer Regina Medina
contributed to this report.
On Twitter: @morganzalot
Blog: PhillyConfidential.com
