12-year-old chews through restraints to escape accused kidnapper, Alabama officials say
.jpg "A driver called the sheriff’s office after finding the 12-year-old victim walking along County Road 34 early in the morning on Monday, Aug. 1, Alabama cops said.")
A man has been arrested and charged with kidnapping and murder after an escaped child and two decomposed bodies were found, Alabama officials say.
Deputies responded to a call around 8:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 1, from a driver who found the girl walking near County Road 34, Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett said during an Aug. 2 news conference posted to Facebook by The Alexander City Outlook. Following the initial investigation, officials arrested Jose Pauline Pascal Reyes, 37, on Monday on a first-degree kidnapping charge.
While looking through Reyes’ home, investigators say they located two decomposed bodies, which are being identified, Abbett said. Reyes was then charged with three counts of capital murder and two counts of abuse of corpse Tuesday, according to an Aug. 2 news release from the sheriff.
Reyes is being held in the Tallapoosa County Jail awaiting a bond hearing, the release says.
The 12-year-old kidnapping victim was tied to a bed post for about a week and drugged using alcohol until she chewed through her restraints and escaped, according to details from the affidavit that the sheriff’s office confirmed during the news conference.
“She’s a hero,” Abbett said. “We gave her medical attention, and she is safe now, so we want to keep her that way.”
Officials have not yet revealed the relationship between the victims and Reyes, and the identities of the bodies found in Reyes’ home have not been released.
Tallapoosa County is about 65 miles northeast of Montgomery.
This story was originally published August 3, 2022 at 12:00 PM with the headline "12-year-old chews through restraints to escape accused kidnapper, Alabama officials say."
