Child Kidnapper Foiled by Local Hero

Antonio Diaz Chacon risked his own life to rescue a six-year old girl, snatched off a New Mexico, U.S., street by a kidnapper.

After seeing a man grab the girl, pull her into a van and speed off, Mr. Chacon jumped in his truck and raced after the kidnapper, chasing him for 15 minutes across the city of Albuquerque. When he eventually forced the man – later identified as Phil Garcia – to crash, Mr. Chacon charged in and grabbed the girl from the kidnapper’s vehicle.

According to a report on August 16 by Alex Tomlin of CNN affiliate KOAT7 Albuquerque:

The hero, who risked his own life to rescue a neighbourhood girl he didn’t know, said he was only doing what was right.

Antonio Diaz Chacon has two girls of his own. He said when he saw the six-year-old forced into a mysterious van, he just reacted.

Antonio and his wife Martha … saw Garcia push the girl into a van.

“We have to save her,” Martha translated.

Antonio didn’t hesitate; he took off in his truck while Martha called 911.

She can be heard telling the dispatcher, “The man came running to us and said they stole our little girl.”

Antonio said he followed Garcia for about 15 minutes as he swerved in and out of neighborhoods and sped down busy streets.

Finally Garcia crashed, and Antonio went to grab the girl. Garcia also got out.

“When he was really scared was when the van stalled and he got off the van and my husband thought maybe he has a gun,” said Martha.

Garcia took off running … Antonio got the girl out of the van and put her in his truck.

Police later caught Garcia, who tried to hide what appeared to be a kidnap kit: a roll of duct tape and straps.

The little girl was reported to be bruised, and her clothes were ripped as she struggled with Garcia, even biting his fingers when he grabbed her.