A 10-year-old Oregon girl was taken from her home in the middle of the night, then found tied up in a closet about 13 hours later in what officials called “a family’s worst nightmare.”
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 found her tied up at a residence roughly 9 miles away in Oregon City and 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.”
Gonzalez shared no further details, including whether Chavez knew Hay’s family. The initial 911 call, however, described the abductor as 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 receiving treatment at a local hospital.
Prosecutors have not yet charged Chavez with any crimes. Owens said the case will go to the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office, which will decide what charges may be brought, KATU reported.
The girls’ parents cooperated with investigators as they canvassed the neighborhood and collected surveillance footage from nearby cameras.
Chavez’s roommate told KATU he was in the middle of a shower when police burst into his home. He said he had no clue his roommate was hiding the girl inside and described himself as disgusted and devastated by the ordeal. He added that Chavez had shown no concerning signs before the alleged kidnapping.
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