A man was taken into custody after police forced their way inside a north Houston motel to rescue a missing 3-year-old girl who had been reported missing.
HOUSTON — A man was taken into custody after Houston police said he was found in a motel room with a missing girl who had been at the center of an AMBER Alert.
What happened
According to Houston police, they got a call about a missing 3-year-old girl at about 5:30 a.m. Sunday.
The girl’s parents told the police they went to sleep at about 11 p.m. Saturday, and when they woke up early Sunday morning, the door to their apartment was open and the girl was missing.
After searching the complex, they called the police and officers began to search the area.
An apartment resident told officers they saw a man with the girl. Officers were able to use that information to identify the suspect as Holman Hernandez.
At about 2 p.m., officers found Hernandez’s vehicle about a block away from where the girl had gone missing.
A nearby motel manager alerted officers that they had rented a room to Hernandez at about 7:30 a.m. Sunday.
Officers approached the room and knocked on the door, but Hernandez didn’t answer. Officers forced their way inside, where they found the missing girl and Hernandez.
The child was rescued and taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation. Police said Hernandez put up a fight but was eventually taken into custody. No officers were injured.
“We’re all blessed. The family is blessed that the kid appears to be OK,” HPD Chief Troy Finner said. “To see the father and that kid in the ambulance and being able to talk to the father and the kid … it’s amazing.”
Authorities didn’t say what charges Hernandez would be facing. They also said they’re not sure if he’s related to the girl. No weapons were found in the motel room.
Here’s the update Finner provided at the scene where the girl was found and Hernandez was taken into custody:
What to do when someone goes missing
Thousands of people go missing every year across the United States, and there are organizations and law enforcement agencies that work to bring them home to loved ones.
The Texas Center for the Missing is an organization with Houston roots that works to educate loved ones and authorities on finding the lost.
From resources that deal with missing children to endangered adults, the non-profit organization has compiled a wealth of resources to help.
There is no 24-hour waiting period required to report a person missing, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.