Associated Press 
Jay Reeves 
 This booking photo released by the Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Department shows Jose Paulino Pascual-Reyes at the jail in Dadeville, Ala., on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. Photo by the Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Department /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Content of the article

A 12-year-old girl held captive for a week in a trailer with the dismembered remains of her mother and brother provided key information that led to the arrest of the woman’s live-in boyfriend, authorities said Thursday.

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below. 

Content of the article

The girl, who gnawed through restraints to escape the residence while the man was away, “is a hero who survived the incident and provided the information she provided to us to charge him,” said Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett. Discovered along a country road by a passerby after her escape on Monday, the child is now safe in the custody of state child welfare officials. Assaulted and alcohol used to keep her in a coma, the girl fled after chewing through the ties that held her down to a bed, authorities said in court documents. Jose Paulino Pascual-Reyes, 37, was charged with kidnapping and multiple counts of murder in the slayings of the girl’s mother, 29-year-old Sandra Vazquez Ceja, and her son, who court records show was younger than 14 .

Advertising 3

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below. 

Content of the article

“They were friends,” Abbett said of Pascual-Reyes and Ceja. “They actually lived there all together.” We apologize, but this video failed to load. The kidnapping charge alleges that the girl was held hostage against her will, not that she was physically abducted from elsewhere and brought home, Abbett said. The girl was captured on July 24 around the time her mother and brother were killed, authorities say, and police found two dismembered bodies in the trailer after the child fled Monday morning. Abet declined to comment on whether the girl knew the fate of her mother and brother while still a hostage, but the dismembered remains were found inside the house. Pascual-Reyes was arrested Monday night while working at a construction site in Auburn, more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the trailer. He is being held without bond.

Advertising 4

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below. 

Content of the article

Defense attorney Mark Carlton said he and another attorney had just been appointed to represent Pascual-Reyes and declined to comment immediately, saying they would still have a chance to meet with him. Reyes, who is originally from Mexico, was in the country illegally after being deported and returning without the proper documents, Abbett said. It was unclear when he last entered the United States, the sheriff said, but the group had been living in the trailer since February. Checha and the two children entered the United States from Mexico in 2017 and remained after seeking asylum, but immigration officials had not yet ruled on their claims, the sheriff said. While some other people live near the mobile home and others had lived at the residence, there is no indication that anyone else knew about the killings or that the girl was being held against her will, Abbett said. “No one has come forward,” he said.

Share this article on your social network

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below. 

From our newsroom to your midday inbox, the latest headlines, stories, opinions and photos from the Toronto Sun. By clicking the subscribe button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

Thanks for subscribing!

A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder. The next issue of Your Midday Sun will be in your inbox soon. We encountered a problem with your registration. PLEASE try again

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles.  Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site.  We ask that you keep your comments relevant and respectful.  We’ve enabled email notifications—you’ll now receive an email if you get a reply to your comment, there’s an update on a comment thread you’re following, or if someone follows the comments.  Visit the Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to customize your email settings.