Amber Alert Issued For Teen Girl Abducted At Knife-Point in Texas; Authorities Believe Girl To Be In Grave Danger
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) has issued an Amber Alert in Texas for a 14-year-old girl who was kidnapped from a church parking lot in Titus County on Sunday afternoon. Authorities believe the girl to be in grave danger.
The victim, Ruby Zavala, along with her mother and a sibling were all abducted at knife-point in the parking lot of Saint Michael's Catholic Church in Mount Pleasant by 22-year-old suspect Jesus Ramirez. Ramirez then allegedly took the three to a Titus County home, after which he released the mother and one child but took off with Ruby, according to police reports.
The vehicle that Ramirez was driving was found crashed and abandoned at about 5:00pm on Sunday on County Road 2500, west of Mount Pleasant between the towns of Winfield and Lake Monticello. The Mount Pleasant Police, Titus County Sheriff's and DPS troopers have set up a command post nearby and are conducting searches in the area for the two, both on foot and by helicopter, KLTV reports.
"We're trying to canvass the area, a heavily wooded area with a lot of fields," said Mount Pleasant Police Chief Wayne Isbell. "Ramirez knows the family and at one time had a dating relationship with the victim. He's been previously arrested for the sexual assault of a child."
According to the Mount Pleasant Police Department, Ramirez is considered armed and dangerous and is believed to be mentally ill.
The Amber Alert issued for Ruby Zavala describes the 14-year-old as Hispanic, 5' tall, 120 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a white top, blue jeans and tan shoes. The alert describes her abductor, Ramirez, as a 22-year-old Hispanic male, 5'9" tall, 165 pounds with blakc hair and brown eyes and wearing a black ball cap. The suspect was last heard from in East 1st Street in Mount Pleasant.
According to the Alert, law enforcement officials believe Ruby to be in grave or immediate danger. Anybody with any information is asked to contact the Mount Pleasant Police Department at (903) 575-4004.