Police have released new information about a 12-year-old girl who escaped from her kidnapper and was found walking down an Alabama street Monday morning. After being discovered by a passing driver who called 911, the girl led police to a mobile home where authorities discovered two decomposing bodies on the property.
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On Thursday, the Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Office claimed the bodies — which had been brutally dismembered — belonged to the girl’s mother and brother. In court records in the case, officials wrote that the brother was younger than 14 years old. Story continues below ad José Paulino Pascual-Reyes, 37, was arrested at a construction site Monday night, more than 20 miles from where the trailer was parked in a rural area south of Dadeville, Ala. Pascual-Reyes was initially charged with kidnapping, but police have now added multiple counts of murder. According to police, Pascual-Reyes was the mother’s live-in boyfriend. (Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett clarified that the kidnapping charge against Pascual-Reyes is not because he physically abducted the girl, but because he was held hostage against her will.)
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Police believe the girl’s captivity, which has not been named, began on July 24. Court documents say she was tied to bedposts inside the residence for over a week and drugged with alcohol. Authorities allege that Pascual-Reyes intended to cause physical or sexual harm. Trending Stories
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According to police, the girl was able to free herself by chewing her way out of her restraints and exiting the camper. Court documents claim she damaged her braces in the process. At a news conference Thursday, Abbett did not say whether the girl knew the bodies in the trailer were her mother and brother. As of this writing, legal representatives for Pascual-Reyes declined to comment publicly. Story continues below ad Police also allege Pascual-Reyes entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico. He was in the country after his deportation, although Abate said it was unclear when Pascual-Reyes returned.
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Pascual-Reyes, the 12-year-old girl, her mother and brother had been living in the mobile home since February, officials allege. The girl’s mother, Sandra Vazquez Ceja, 29, also came to the U.S. from Mexico in 2017, seeking asylum. Their status claim had not yet been approved by government officials, Abate said. The sheriff also claimed that although there were other residents living in the mobile home, there is no indication that they knew the dead people or the captured girl. Abbett said the girl, who has not been named, “is a hero who survived the incident and provided the information she gave us to charge him.” Police say the 12-year-old girl is now safe and in the care of state child welfare officials. 2:28 Statistics show rise in police-reported violent crimes Previous Video Next Video © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
