Federal Kidnapping Charge Filed After Girl Held For Nearly 14 Hours
A 36-year-old Oregon City man was arrested Tuesday following a multi-agency search that recovered the 10-year-old victim.
By Yuna Fletcher ·
Federal prosecutors charged an Oregon City man with kidnapping on Tuesday after a 10-year-old girl was taken from her home last week.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon filed a federal criminal complaint against Vince Edgar Chavez, 36. He already faces state charges in Clackamas County, including attempted murder, assault, and first-degree kidnapping.
Investigators reported the girl missing at 1:39 a.m. on Oct. 28 from the Orchards Apartments on Southeast Township Road in Canby. During the break-in, her 12-year-old sister was struck repeatedly with a hammer and knocked unconscious before being hospitalized.
Local police, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI Portland Field Office launched a multi-agency search. Officials identified Chavez as a person of interest through interviews and prior contacts. To track the child’s location, investigators obtained emergency cellphone records.
The FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team analyzed the data while Oregon City police conducted a street search. Officers located a white van tied to Chavez near Pleasant Avenue and Sommer Street in Oregon City. At 1:46 p.m., FBI agents observed Chavez walking to the van and returning inside the house.
Officers forced entry into the residence and found the child hidden in a bedroom. They arrested Chavez as he attempted to flee out the back door. Paramedics transported the girl to a hospital for evaluation. Other residents told investigators they did not know the child was inside.
A federal affidavit states that Chavez drove the girl across local boundaries using public roads and a cellphone, which establishes federal jurisdiction. U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford said the rapid recovery resulted from extraordinary teamwork and relentless determination by law enforcement. He noted that when a child is taken, officials act immediately and do not stop until the child is safe and the offender is brought to justice. Chavez remains held without bail at the Clackamas County Jail. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Rochat is prosecuting the federal case.
Source: KPTV
