Texas Amber Alert Suspect Arrested for Kidnapping 13-Year-Old Girl
Clayton Phillips, the 18-year-old man linked by the authorities in a Texas kidnapping of a 13-year-old that caused an issuance for a statewide Amber Alert, is now under Tarrant County's custody.
The teen's arrest happened a day after the Brownsville Police Department issued the alert on Saturday evening, June 26.
CBSDFW reported that Clayton Phillips and the 13-year-old girl, Antonette Rodriguez, were found while the Mansfield police searched an area in North Texas based on a tip from the Brownsville Police Department.
The suspect and the girl were reported to be inside a car backed into a spot of grass off West Debbie Lane in Mansfield.
Officers believed that the Texas amber alert suspect drove to the Dallas Fort Worth area, where he may have a family nearby. Phillips was charged with kidnapping and is held at Tarrant County Jail.
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Police Release a Footage on the Arrest of the Texas Amber Alert Suspect
On Sunday, June 27, the authorities released body camera footage revealing how the officers arrested the 18-year-old amber alert suspect.
The video featured loud voices of police officers as they open the door of the car. At one point, a police officer shouted, "let go of the door," and instructed the Texas amber alert suspect on the ground.
The authorities urged the suspect to put his hands around his back to cuff him, and the 18-year-old was seen cooperative. The bodycam footage also revealed that Rodriguez was in the passenger seat of the car.
"Looked like he was sleeping in the driver seat, and the child in the front passenger seat," said Sgt. Brian Raines from Mansfield Police Department as reported by WFAA.
Raines described the Texas amber alert suspect as "dangerous." Raines also noted that the area where the suspect's car was found was not a "normal area for a vehicle to be at that time of night." The police officer further noted that the vehicle had its parking lights on, which caught his attention.
13-Year-Old Victim of Texas Amber Alert Suspect Rescued
Meanwhile, police officers described the 13-year-old victim as startled but calm.
"[She] just listened to us and was completely fine, no injuries or anything like that," said Raines, adding that he thought of his own daughter while rescuing Rodriguez.
The police officer also said that their priority was to secure Antonette Rodriguez and separate her from Clayton Phillips. Officers believed that Rodiguez and the suspect met online.
In the end, the mother of the 13-year-old cried tears of joy, knowing that her daughter was alive. During the whole shift, Raines emphasized that their dispatch, officers, and the city helped find the child. Raines was joined with three other officers during the suspect's arrest.
The Texas amber alert was issued for Antonette Rodriguez when she went missing on Saturday. The 13-year-old girl, originally from Brownsville, was last seen in La Quinta Inn and Suites in San Antonio before she was rescued by the authorities.
Officers believed that Rodriguez was a victim of a Texas kidnapping and was in a "grave or immediate" danger when she disappeared.
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WATCH: Texas Amber Alert Suspect Arrested In Mansfield, Charged With Kidnapping 13-Year-Old Girl - From CBSDFW