Luis Martinez-Romero Charged In Kidnapping Of 9-Year-Old Girl In Providence
PROVIDENCE, RI (CBS) – A man charged with kidnapping a 9-year-old girl in Providence was ordered held without bail Wednesday. Police said 34-year-old Luis Martinez-Romero of Cranston grabbed the girl just after she got off the school bus Monday afternoon.
Police released surveillance video of the abduction on Tuesday. It showed an SUV pulling in front of the girl just after she left the bus. The driver got out, picked the girl up and put her in the back seat of the SUV before driving away.
It happened in the area of Grover and Merino Streets. The girl was dropped back off in same area about an hour after she was abducted.
Martinez-Romero was arrested late Tuesday. He's charged with kidnapping of a minor and second degree sexual assault.
Police said Martinez-Romero did not know the girl.
"This dangerous individual has been removed from the streets of our city due to the swift and vigilant work of our officers who worked tirelessly on this case," Providence Police said.
Providence Public Schools said their school bus drivers won't drop off children 8 years old and younger unless there is an adult there to meet them.
"If no adult is present at the time the bus arrives at the bus stop, the bus driver and bus monitor will keep the child on the bus and bring him/her to the bus yard where the parents may then pick up their child," spokeswoman Laura Hart told WBZ-TV.
