Police Say Pueblo Kidnapping Victim Acted Bravely, Suspect Hid In Plain Sight
PUEBLO, Colo. (CBS4) - Police said the 9-year-old victim of a kidnapping in Pueblo showed an incredible act of bravery.
Jose Garcia, 29, is in the Pueblo County Jail. He's facing several charges, including kidnapping and sexual assault. Police said Garcia abducted the 9-year-old girl Thursday in Pueblo.
Just after 9 a.m. Friday 911 dispatch received a call from a Colorado Springs convenience store.
"We do have 9-year-old on the phone who is stating that she does need medical help and that she is calling from a payphone," the 911 dispatcher said.
The victim got there by breaking away from her captor at a nearby restaurant. When he went to the restroom, she ran, and then made the desperate 911 call. Garcia gave chase, but by the time he caught up the victim was in public surrounded by witnesses.
"She looked at me, pointed in my eyes and said, 'I ain't going nowhere, I'm waiting right here for my mamma.' I looked at the guy, he looked at me … spun around and just high-tailed it out of there," witness Efren Vialpando said.
Garcia ran on foot. Colorado Springs searched for hours throughout the city. Shortly after 1 p.m. an officer spotted Garcia 8 miles away. Witnesses say he was trying to hide in plain sight.
"He was kind of just facing like this (pulls a hood over his head) with his hood so you couldn't really see his face. He was just down like this and just walking," witness Johnny Fetz said.
According to radio reports, police followed Garcia for 10 minutes before moving in.
Garcia might have known the victim. His ex-girlfriend lived a few houses away.
The victim was released from the hospital late Friday. She's safely back with family.
Garcia is being held on a $250,000 bond.
