NHPD: woman was not kidnapped

Update: New Haven police say Monaisa Francis was found safe and was not kidnapped.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) --New Haven police are investigating a kidnapping.

Officers were dispatched to Lombard and Front Streets around 10:20 p.m. Wednesday night where they met 32-year-old Tesfa McCaw who told them he had been assaulted, his car had been stolen, and his friend, who was in the car, had been abducted.

McCaw told police he had picked up his friend, Monaisa Francis, from her home in Fair Haven when she asked him if they could pick up her son. On the way, she asked him to pull over so she could make a phone call.

While she was on the phone, McCaw says three masked men dragged him from the car, demanded his wallet, and beat him up.

Then men then got in the car, with Francis still inside, and drove off.

McCaw told police she made no attempt to get out of the car during the assault.

Now police are searching for her and the stolen car.

Francis is a 21-year-old black woman. She is about 5'05", weighs about 135-140 pounds, has black hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt and black spandex pants.

The car is a rented 2011 Chevrolet Aveo from Hertz in Fairfield with Connecticut registration plates 796-YXE.

The suspects were described as black men who each wore black clothing and face masks.