A 10-year-old girl was abducted from her Oregon home in the middle of the night — then found tied up in a closet around 13 hours later in “a family’s worst nightmare,” according to officials.
Violet Hay was snatched from her home in Canby around 1:47 a.m. Wednesday by a fiend who bashed her 12-year-old sister in the head with a hammer, according to KGW.
A SWAT team then found her tied up at a residence some 9 miles away in Oregon City, where they arrested the suspect, Vince Edgar Chavez.
“Folks, I have great news — we found her safe and alive,” Canby Police Chief Jose Gonzalez announced to applause some 13 hours after she was snatched.
“As a parent, I was anxious… I’m so glad that we found her alive and well.”
He did not give any more info, including whether Chavez was known to Hay’s family. The initial 911 call, however, called the abductor an “unknown male.”
Chris Owens, chief deputy district attorney for Clackamas County, called it “a family’s worst nightmare.”
“A young child … was taken by force. Her sister was viciously assaulted,” he said of Hays’ sister, who was being treated in a local hospital.
Chavez has not yet been charged with any crimes. Owens said the case will be referred to the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office to determine what charges may be brought, KATU reported.
The girls’ parents cooperated with investigators as they canvassed the neighborhood and gathered surveillance footage from nearby cameras.
Chavez’s roommate told KATU he was in the middle of a shower when police burst into his home.
The man said he had no clue that his roommate was hiding the girl inside, adding that he was disgusted and devastated by the ordeal.
He said Chavez had not shown any concerning signs before the alleged kidnapping.
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