Couple Chases Down Alleged Kidnapper After Seeing His Car In an Amber Alert
Thanks to vigilance and quick actions of a Massachusetts couple, a kidnapped girl was returned home safely.
Massachusetts State Police issued an AMBER alert for 11-year-old Charlotte Moccia around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, only a couple hours after she was reported missing.
According to WBTS-CD, Charlotte was abducted on her way home from her bus stop around 1:30 p.m.
Neighbors who heard the screams reported the incident to local law enforcement and surveillance video captured images of the suspected vehicle.
“My wife saw most of it,” neighbor Julius Kenney said. “When she started screaming and hollering, that’s when I got involved. I was in the front room and she was screaming. I thought somebody was breaking in.”
The police department shared the AMBER alert on Twitter with pictures of the suspected vehicle, describing it as “an older dark blue Honda, possibly a Civic w/tinted windows, no front plate & distinctive rims.”
They also said the suspect who forced Charlotte into the car was likely a “white or Hispanic male.”
UPDATE – Further investigation indicates the suspect who forced CHARLOTTE MOCCIA into the car was a white or Hispanic male, not a black male. Further investigation also reveals that the car has distinctive aftermarket rims and a moonroof. Please call 911 if seen. https://t.co/XPyEgSe2qJ pic.twitter.com/riRNr0ZAlj
— Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) January 15, 2020
Thanks to a couple who had seen the AMBER alert, police were able to rescue the young girl only six hours after she was reported missing, according to Fox News.
Spring Police Department Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood told WBTS that the public’s response the AMBER alert “immensely” helped the search.
“The biggest factor, I think, in this was the assistance of the public. The tips coming in were amazing,” she said. “People were out looking for this car. It was amazing.”
Amanda Disley and her husband Benny Correa were among the civilians keeping a vigilant eye out for the vehicle of interest.
When they spotted a dark Honda with “distinctive rims,” they immediately began chasing it in their own vehicle.
A video of the chase captured some of Disley’s conversation with the police.
“It’s him, it’s him! It’s a blue Honda Civic and they’re doing 100 miles per hour right now!” she said. “He’s blowing through red lights!”
Disley later shared the video to Facebook and said a “gut feeling” told them that it was the same car described in the AMBER alert.
“Some of the video sorry for dramaticness but when I saw the person in the back seat being pushed down all we could think about is her and the danger she was in,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “[I] wasn’t even sure if it was the right car just the gut feeling my husband and I had by the rims and the funny movements in the car.”
Warning: the following video contains strong language that some readers may find offensive.
Even though Disley and Correa weren’t able to keep up with the car, their tips helped officials locate the car and rescue the young girl inside.
Officers finally approached the vehicle around 7:15 p.m. and were able to arrest the 24-year-old driver, Miguel Rodriguez. Charlotte was found in the backseat and was rushed to the hospital to be evaluated before being reunited with her family.
The girl’s family thanked everyone involved in bringing home their little girl, but offered a special message to Disley and Correa.
“In particular, we’d like to thank Amanda Disley and her husband for their vigilance and courage for putting themselves in harm’s way to make sure she wasn’t out of their sight,” the family said in a statement.
Even though police were initially looking for two suspects in connection with Charlotte’s kidnapping, but they said Rodriguez is the sole suspect in the case, according to WBTS.
Based on reports from Rodriguez’s family that he suffers from schizophrenia, the judge has ordered a 15-day competency hearing.
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