Officers recovered a 6-year-old child unharmed and arrested a Haltom City man Monday after an alleged vehicle theft at a Crowley Walmart Fuel Center, the Crowley Police Department said in a news release.
Officers responded at approximately 9:41 a.m. on October 12 to the fuel center at 1301 E. FM 1187 after a report that someone had stolen a vehicle with the child inside, according to the release.
Crowley officers used the Flock Safety camera system to track the vehicle as it traveled north into Fort Worth. With help from Fort Worth police, officers located the vehicle in the 1200 block of W. Spurgeon Street, found the child unharmed and reunited him with his family, the department said.
The suspect fled on foot, but officers later located and arrested him without incident near La Gran Plaza in Fort Worth, according to the release.
Police identified the suspect as Manuel Hernandez, 23, of Haltom City. He faces charges of kidnapping, theft involving $2,500 to less than $30,000, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 2 controlled substance, the department said.
The release listed Hernandez in custody at the Crowley Police Department on October 12. The charges represent allegations.
Fort Worth police and Air One assisted in the response, along with the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office K9 Division and Tarrant County Crime Scene, according to Crowley police.
The department described the incident as isolated and said it posed no ongoing threat to the public. Police said the investigation remained active and that they would not provide additional information or media interviews because the case involves a juvenile.
The release did not explain how the alleged theft occurred or identify a motive. It also did not name the child or disclose how long he remained in the vehicle before officers found him.
