DADEVILLE, Ala. (WRBL) — A 12-year-old girl escaped an alleged kidnapping at a mobile home where two decomposing bodies were found in Alabama.
Investigators are calling the girl who escaped early Monday morning a “hero.” They say the girl was restrained to bed posts inside the mobile home for more than a week and given alcohol to keep her in a drugged state. She escaped by chewing out of her restraints, damaging the braces on her teeth in the process, detectives say.
The man who lived at the mobile home, 37-year-old Jose Reyes, was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree kidnapping. Prosecutors expect to charge Reyes with two counts of capital murder, along with other charges, after their investigation revealed two decomposing bodies inside the residence.
Investigators said the kidnapping took place around July 24. Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett would not say how Reyes knew the child or if the child was related to the two individuals found dead inside the home. Their identities and cause of death have yet to be released. The child was not reported missing by any relatives.
Abbett declined to say if the child’s family had been located.
Reyes was located Monday in the Auburn area by U.S. Marshalls and taken into custody. He is being held without bond in Tallapoosa County pending additional charges.
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are also involved in the investigation.