Search continues for abducted Jastine Valdez after gardaí shoot suspect dead
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Search continues for abducted Jastine Valdez after gardaí shoot suspect dead

A major search operation is continuing this morning to find a 24-year-old woman who was abducted near her home in Co Wicklow at the weekend.

Jastine Valdez of Enniskerry, Co Wicklow was last seen being bundled into a black Nissan Qashqai on Saturday evening around 6.30pm.

A woman and her young family witnessed the incident and alerted the police.

The suspect in her disappearance was shot dead by gardai during an operation in south Dublin last night.

Mark Hennessy, a 40-year-old father of two from Bray, was located shortly after 8 pm last night at a car park in nearby Cherrywood, after a large-scale manhunt.

Cherrywood is approximately a 12-minute drive from where the abduction took place.

A stand-off ensued between the suspect and gardai, during which he produced a weapon, believed to be a knife.

Gardai then shot the man, and he died a short while later from his injuries.

It has been confirmed that the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission will investigate the incident.

Mr Hennessy had not been previously known to police.

As of this morning, Jastine Valdez is still missing and police have cordoned off an area of Killiney Dart station car park and Killiney Hill in south Dublin.

Ms Valdez is a student at Tallaght IT. Originally from the Philippines, she is described as approximately 5ft in height, of slight build, with long black hair and brown eyes.

When last seen she was wearing a dark jacket, white t-shirt, grey leggings and runners.

Anyone with relevant information is urged to contact Bray Garda Station on 01 666 5300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

More to follow.

Update: Gardai are now also searching an area in Rathmichael, south Dublin.