A 12-year-old child in Alabama escaped her kidnapper by chewing through her restraints. The girl, who is being called a hero, set off a massive investigation, which led to the discovery of two bodies as well as an arrest.
The girl was seen by a motorist in Dadeville on Monday, August 1. The passerby called authorities, and she received medical attention quickly. The child had reportedly been tied to bedposts and drugged. She also had trauma to her head.
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Still, she was miraculously able to chew through her restraints, breaking her braces in the process, which enabled her to escape.
Authorities investigated the home where the child had been kept. There, they discovered a horrific scene. They found two decomposing bodies. According to the Associated Press, the bodies belonged to 29-year-old Sandra Vazquez Ceja and a 14-year-old boy whose identity is known but was kept private by authorities. The bodies were "cut into small pieces at the joints to hide evidence."
The suspect, 37-year-old José Pascual-Reyes, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree kidnapping. He faces three counts of capital murder and two counts of abuse of corpse. He had his first appearance hearing on Wednesday and was denied bail.
Authorities haven’t released information about the 12-year-old girl. Currently, a motive is unknown. Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett said that the girl hadn't been reported missing. Abbett recently disclosed that the murder victims were her mother and brother.
Authorities have said that the deceased woman, Sandra Vazquez Ceja, did use the same address as the mobile home where her body was found when she received a traffic ticket in April. Abbett said that Ceja and her two children had apparently moved in with the suspect in February 2022.
Both Ceja and the boy reportedly died after suffering horrific abuse. Ceja was reportedly smothered with a pillow. The boy was allegedly hit and kicked to death.
Amazingly, the girl is healing and "doing well," according to Abbett. "She is a hero," Abbett said. "We gave her medical attention. She is safe now and so we want to keep her that way."
