ELIZA CARDENAZ - 8 yo - Fresno CA

A state-wide Amber Alert was issued on early Tuesday morning after a young girl was abducted in Fresno, California, police said.According to police in Fresno, a city in central California, an unidentified man was seen trying to lure several children into his pickup truck in the area of 2807 E. Hammond Avenue. When the children wouldn’t get into his truck, he reached out and grabbed one child.


That child was identified as Eliza Cardenaz, an 8-year-old Hispanic girl. She is approximately 4 feet tall, weighs about 60 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a light purple sweater with Winnie the Pooh on front and light blue jeans.The suspect is described as an either white or light-skinned Hispanic male, being possibly around 25 years old. He is believed to be around 6 feet tall, weighing around 200 pounds with either combed back hair or bald. He was last seen wearing a white tank top and blue jeans.The suspect was last seen driving a 1980’s or 90’s model Ford single cab pickup, possibly brown and/or red with a white pin stripe on the side with an unknown license plate number.Because Fresno is not far from Nevada and as they do not know where the suspect is heading, police decided to issue a state-wide Amber Alert. Police in Western Nevada have also issued an Amber Alert for the girl.“The police say the little girl does not know this man, so there is a lot of concern,” the Nevada Highway Patrol said.Anyone with information about the case is being asked to call the Fresno Police Department at (559) 621-700, the Nevada Highway Patrol at (775) 687-0400 or 911.

A man abducted a little girl in Fresno Monday night, and detectives say he may be headed to Reno. An Amber Alert is now in effect.Investigators say the man tried to lure several children into his truck, and they didn't listen, so he reached out and grabbed 8-year-old Elisa Cardenaz. She's Hispanic, about 4'0" and 60 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She could be wearing a light purple "Winnie the Pooh" sweater and blue jeans.The suspect is white or Hispanic, about 25 years old, around 6'0" and 200 pounds. He's either bald, or his hair is combed back. He was wearing a white tank top and blue jeans.His single-cab pickup is an 80s or 90s Ford model, brown or red with a white pin stripe on the side.Detectives say Elisa Cardenaz does not know the man who abducted her.You're urged to call 911 if you've seen her or the suspect.

Update: Fresno Police have detained one person in connection to the abduction of 8-year-old Elisa Cardenaz. The person was taken into custody early Tuesday morning near a vineyard in Selma.
The alert is currently still active.

Missing From: Fresno, CA
Missing Date: Pacific
Issued for: California: Statewide, Nevada: Carson City, Douglas, Lyon, Storey, Washoe
Contact: If you have information, please contact the Fresno Police Department, at 1-559-621-7000 or the Nevada Highway Patrol, 1-775-687-0400
Circumstances: Fresno police say a man tried to lure several children into his pickup truck. When they wouldn’t get into their truck, he reached out & grabbed the 8 year-old female child. They may be traveling in a brown or red 1970’s or 80’s model Chevrolet single cab pickup with a white pin stripe on the side.
http://usradionews.net/2010/10/05/amber-alert-issued-for-californianevada-%E2%80%93-elisa-cardenaz/

Amber Alert - Elisa

Submitted by Jasmine on 5 October, 2010 - 13:38.
Fresno Police have detained one person in connection to the abduction of 8-year-old Elisa Cardenaz.The person was taken into custody early Tuesday morning near a vineyard in Selma.More details on the kidnapping and the person in custody will be released later this morning at a press conference by Fresno Police.Continues/...http://www.kmph.com/global/story.asp?s=13268155

http://www.helpfindmychild.net/elisa-cardenaz

Have You Seen Elisa Cardenaz ?
Case Type: No Longer Missing
Missing Date: Monday 04th October 2010
Missing From: Fresno California
Missing Country: USA
Sex: Female
DOB: 22/Feb/2002
Age Now: 8

Suspect in custody in girl's abduction, police say
By the CNN Wire Staff
October 5, 2010 11:40 a.m. EDT
CNN) -- A suspect is in custody in connection with the abduction of 8-year-old Elisa Cardenas of Fresno, California, who was later found safe, authorities said Tuesday.

Elisa was believed abducted by a stranger who forced her into a pickup, police said.

Elisa's recovery was announced by Fresno police spokesman Jeff Cardinale.

No further details were immediately available. Video shot by CNN affiliate KSEE at the scene showed part of a residential area cordoned off by police tape and a person on a stretcher being put into an ambulance. The person's face was not visible.

Authorities were notified of the incident about 8:30 p.m. Monday, Police Chief Jerry Dyer had said earlier. A man reportedly drove up to an apartment complex where a group of children were playing, approached two girls and attempted to lure them into his truck. A younger girl, 6, walked away, Dyer said, but Elisa began walking with the man.

Two witnesses nearby, a man and a woman, saw what was going on and yelled at the children to get away from the vehicle and the man, Dyer said. But before the girl had time to react, he said, the man grabbed Elisa, pushed her into the driver's side of the pickup and sped off with the truck's headlights off.

Elisa's mother got into a car and tried to chase the truck down, but was unsuccessful, Dyer said.
Video: Hunt for Fresno girl
Video: Abduction of California girl
RELATED TOPICS

* California
* Kidnapping
* Crime

Police had received a report shortly before the incident of a man with a similar description and vehicle exposing himself to young girls nearby, the chief said. The man got into a pickup and drove away with his lights out, Dyer said. The mother of one girl chased him on foot but did not catch him.

The vehicle was described as being a late 1970s or early 1980s model Ford or Chevy pickup, either dark brown or reddish-brown in color, Dyer said. The two-door pickup reportedly has a 6-inch white stripe on the side. The vehicle has been spotted on policing cameras from the area, he said, and authorities were in the process of enhancing the video in hopes of obtaining a license plate number.

The chief said the man attempted to entice the girls into the truck by promising them something, but would not say what. CNN affiliate KFSN reported the man spoke in Spanish and told the children that he would take them to the Dollar Store and buy them toys if they got into the truck.

Earlier Tuesday, Dyer said authorities had "not had any luck" in the search.

"We need the public's help," Dyer said. "It's going to take all of us to locate this one child."

A man was detained early Tuesday after a witness tip. While Dyer said the man has an extensive criminal history, he was questioned and released and authorities believed he was not involved.

"This is truly the first stranger abduction kidnapping that I believe has occurred at least since I have been the chief," Dyer said. Such incidents are "very rare in law enforcement today, fortunately."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/05/california.child.taken/index.html

Police credit 'good Samaritans' for 8-year-old's recovery
By the CNN Wire Staff
October 5, 2010 12:26 p.m. EDT

heck out a local report on CNN affiliate KFSN-TV in Fresno, California.

(CNN) -- Police praised Fresno, California, citizens and some good Samaritans as "heroes" on Tuesday, saying their efforts led to the safe recovery of an abducted 8-year-old girl and the arrest of the man accused of snatching her.

Elisa Cardenas was recovered Tuesday, hours after authorities said she was forced into a pickup truck at a Fresno apartment complex by a man who had approached a group of children playing.

Elisa was taken to a hospital for an examination, Police Chief Jerry Dyer told reporters, saying the girl was "frightened" and "traumatized" but in good condition. Watching the girl and her mother reunite, he said, was "the highlight of my career."

About 7 a.m. (10 a.m. ET), a person described by Dyer as a good Samaritan told police he was driving when he saw a truck similar to a description of the suspect's vehicle given by authorities. The person, who had watched the news and was familiar with the case, began to follow the truck, Dyer said.

The driver initially said he only saw a man in the truck and no one else, but within a few minutes saw a child stick her head up. "He realized right then and there he had the suspect vehicle," Dyer said.

The man pulled in front of the truck and cut it off, and Elisa "took the moment of opportunity, opened up the passenger door, and jumped out and ran," he said. A second good Samaritan stayed with the girl, Dyer said.

The driver pursued the pickup truck and was able to obtain a partial license plate number, which he gave to dispatchers, the chief said.
RELATED TOPICS

* California
* Kidnapping
* Crime

About 40 minutes later, the California Highway Patrol received a report of a truck matching the vehicle description parked behind a church, Dyer said. Responding officers were not able to find the truck at the location and contacted the tipster, who advised them it had been driven away. It was later found parked nearby, behind an apartment complex.

The officer initially thought the truck was not occupied, but a man raised up as the officer exited his car, Dyer said. He was taken into custody without incident. A witness has identified the man as the person they saw at the abduction scene, the chief said.

Dyer would not release the suspect's name, saying the investigation was continuing. The suspect has not been questioned by police, he said, but authorities were interviewing Elisa.

"We beat the odds today," he said, adding that often abduction victims aren't found until it is too late.

"I want to say thank you to the citizens of Fresno and the good Samaritans," he said. "They are heroes." He also thanked the media for their assistance.

Video shot by CNN affiliate KSEE at the scene showed part of a residential area cordoned off by police tape and a person on a stretcher being put into an ambulance. The person's face was not visible.

Authorities were notified of the incident about 8:30 p.m. Monday, Dyer had said earlier. A man reportedly drove up to an apartment complex where a group of children were playing, approached two girls and attempted to lure them into his truck. A younger girl, 6, walked away, Dyer said, but Elisa began walking with the man.

Two witnesses nearby, a man and a woman, saw what was going on and yelled at the children to get away from the vehicle and the man, Dyer said. But before the girl had time to react, he said, the man grabbed Elisa, pushed her into the driver's side of the pickup and sped off with the truck's headlights off.

Elisa's mother got into a car and tried to chase the truck down, but was unsuccessful, Dyer said.

Police had received a report shortly before the incident of a man with a similar description and vehicle exposing himself to young girls nearby, the chief said. The man got into a pickup and drove away with his lights out, Dyer said. The mother of one girl chased him on foot but did not catch him.

The vehicle was described as being a late 1970s or early 1980s model Ford or Chevy pickup, either dark brown or reddish-brown in color, Dyer said earlier. The two-door pickup reportedly had a 6-inch white stripe on the side. The vehicle was spotted on policing cameras from the area, he said, and authorities were in the process of enhancing the video in hopes of obtaining a license plate number.

The suspect was described as a white or Hispanic male in his early 20s, between 5-foot-8 and 6 feet tall with a medium build, Dyer said. He was wearing a white tank top and blue jean shorts.

The police chief said the man attempted to entice the girls into the truck by promising them something, but would not say what. CNN affiliate KFSN reported the man spoke in Spanish and told the children that he would take them to the Dollar Store and buy them toys if they got into the truck.

A man who was detained earlier Tuesday after a witness tip was questioned and released; authorities believed he was not involved.

"This is truly the first stranger abduction kidnapping that I believe has occurred at least since I have been the chief," Dyer said. Such incidents are "very rare in law enforcement today, fortunately."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/05/california.child.taken/index.html?hpt=T2

An 8-year-old girl who was abducted while playing outside a Fresno home escaped from her captor Tuesday morning after a driver cut off the suspect's vehicle, police said.Elisa Cardenas was found in Fresno about 11 hours after she disappeared around 8:30 p.m. Monday, triggering a statewide Amber Alert.Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said the driver was following a truck that matched the description of the abductor's vehicle. The driver recognized the truck from media reports, which showed surveillance video of the vehicle.When the driver saw Elisa's head in the window, he cut the truck off and Elisa bolted, Dyer said.She was taken to Community Regional Medical Center and was in good condition."I've got to tell you, it was a highlight of my career to see Elisa and her mom reunite in that hospital room," Dyer said.The suspect's pickup truck was later spotted by authorities, who had received a tip about its whereabouts, and he was arrested in the parking lot of an apartment complex. His name has not been released.Authorities said Elisa was playing with six other girls when a stranger approached them and managed to lure her into his pickup. Two adults who saw what was happening shouted for the girls to run away. But the man grabbed Elisa and drove away, as witnesses chased the vehicle.Fresno police said the suspect fit the description of a man who had exposed himself to two girls earlier in the day.More than 130 officers were called in to help with the search and went door-to-door over a 3-mile area.

It was just reported on the nightly news that Eliza was, sexually assaulted! This SOB needs to be electrocuted at his woohoo's!

I agree! A long slow death. Here's an article confirming the assault. Of the 6 girls she was the one who perhaps hadn't been taught by her parents what to do if approached by a stranger like that. I hope others will learn from this.

Elisa Cardenas, was abducted yesterday evening while playing outside a Fresno, California home. She was recovered Tuesday morning after a good Samaritan cut off her suspected kidnapper's vehicle.

The 8-year-old vanished Monday night at about 8:30 p.m., triggering a state wide Amber Alert.

The driver followed a pickup truck that matched the description of the abductor’s, which he saw on media reports.

The good Samaritan saw Elisa’s head in the window of the vehicle driven by Gregorio Gonzalez, 24, and cut the pickup truck off. Elisa immediately jumped out of the truck to safety. A second good Samaritan stayed with the girl.

The driver followed the pickup truck and was able to obtain a partial license plate number, which led authorities to Gonzalez.

Police report that Gonzalez allegedly approached Elisa and six other girls, promising in Spanish to drive them to the Dollar Store and buy them toys and coloring books. The other girls ran, but Elisa was spotted walking near the stranger. She was grabbed, placed in a vehicle, and driven away.

According to CNN, Elisa was scared and traumatized and was taken to a hospital for examination. Authorities later reported the little girl had been sexually assaulted.

Police Chief Jerry Dyer said “I want to say thank you to the citizens of Fresno and the good Samaritans… They are heroes.”

He added that this incident was the first stranger abduction he’s seen since he became chief of police, noting this type of kidnapping is “very rare in law enforcement today, fortunately.”

At press, the names of the good Samaritans had not yet been released.
http://www.examiner.com/crime-in-national/elisa-cardenas-case-good-samaritans-credited-with-recovering-missing-girl

i was so hoping she hadn't been assaulted...

Some may call it chance, but Victor Perez believes a higher power was involved Tuesday when he chased after a vehicle suspected of carrying an abducted young girl in Fresno, California. A construction carpenter by trade until work slowed down, Perez has been recently cutting wine grapes, earning minimum wage. Early Tuesday, there was a light rain, making that task unlikely. Perez, 29, tuned in to television news coverage of the abduction, paying attention to the description and video of the suspect's pickup truck. At about 6:45 a.m., Perez was outside talking with his cousin about the abduction when they saw a vehicle matching that description: an older-model, reddish-brown Chevrolet with a white stripe on the side. "I thought, that could be the truck," Perez, a father of two boys, told reporters Tuesday night. That's when he sprang into action. He jumped into his 1988 white Ford pickup and followed the vehicle. Perez tried to cut off the vehicle several times to question the driver. One time, the driver told him, "I don't have no time [to talk]. My battery is dying." The second time Perez pulled up to the Chevy, he saw the little girl, her head popping up from below view, and knew something was wrong. "I kept telling him, 'That's not your little girl,'" said Perez. "We argued. We exchanged words." "He [Perez] realized right then and there he had the suspect vehicle," Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer told reporters. Perez -- who admitted he did wonder at some point whether the motorist had a gun -- pulled up to the truck a third, and then a fourth time, when he blocked the pickup truck. At that point, the police chief said, the young girl "took the moment of opportunity, opened up the passenger door, and jumped out and ran." Perez said he believes the driver pushed her out. "I was beyond scared," he said. Perez was out of his vehicle and stayed with the girl. He yelled for residents to get her a blanket. The frightened victim was wearing a Winnie the Pooh sweater, he said. The Chevy drove off. By then, Perez had a partial license plate number, which he gave to dispatchers, the chief said. Police about 40 minutes later caught up with the truck, now parked, and arrested Gregorio Gonzalez, 24, of Fresno. Charges against him will include kidnapping, false imprisonment and sexual assault, Dyer said. The suspect was not armed. Police, officials and the parents of the girl praised Perez and other good Samaritans and citizens who aided the search and took action to find the girl. The incident was beginning to sink in Tuesday night, Perez said. "I probably saved a little girl's life." The question arises: What would have happened if Perez had gone to work this day? He quoted a relative who said divine providence might have stepped in.
"God works in mysterious ways," Perez said.

An 8-year-old girl who was abducted by a stranger while playing outside a Fresno home escaped from her captor Tuesday morning after a driver recognized the suspect's vehicle and cut it off, police said. The child was found in Fresno about 11 hours after she disappeared around 8:30 p.m. Monday, triggering a statewide Amber Alert. Police arrested Gregorio Gonzalez, 24, who they said was a member of the Bulldogs street gang.

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said the driver recognized the red pickup truck from media reports that showed surveillance video of the kidnapper's vehicle. When the driver saw a girl's head in the window, he cut the truck off and forced it to stop, Dyer said. The suspect pushed the girl out of the car, and she ran to safety, he said. The girl was taken to a hospital in good condition, but Dyer later confirmed she had been sexually assaulted. The police chief described her as "frightened, traumatized."

I wonder what his fellow Bulldogs think of him now? More like a Chihuahua if he has to pick on little kids....

it really is a miracle that this guy didn't go to work - i have my doubts about the outcome - i am thinking he would have killed her when he was finished -

This is a good reason for Death sentences to be carried out . So they never get a chance to do this again to a child.

oviedo45 wrote:it really is a miracle that this guy didn't go to work - i have my doubts about the outcome - i am thinking he would have killed her when he was finished -

That's exactly what this low life would have done. I hope he never walks free to do this to another little girl.

The remarkable recovery of an abducted 8-year-old girl in Fresno, California -- which combined solid police work with the efforts of good Samaritans -- turned bittersweet when authorities said the victim had been sexually assaulted.

Still, the fact that the girl was back home after the harrowing ordeal brought thanks from her parents during a news conference.

Speaking through an interpreter, the girl's father said he was "very happy that his daughter is home."

Police praised citizens, the media and good Samaritans as "heroes" on Tuesday, saying their efforts led to recovery and the arrest of the man, a suspected gang member, accused of taking her.

"It is truly a miracle of God that she is with us today," Police Chief Jerry Dyer said.

The girl was recovered hours after authorities said she was forced into a pickup truck at a Fresno apartment complex by a man who had approached a group of children playing.

Suspect Gregorio Gonzalez, 24, faces charges that will include kidnapping, false imprisonment and sexual assault.

She was taken to a hospital for an examination, Dyer told reporters, initially saying the girl was "frightened" and "traumatized" but in good condition. Police indicated later she was the victim of sexual assault in a wooded area, perhaps out of town, before the motorist drove back to Fresno.

Watching the girl and her mother reunite, Dyer said, was "the highlight of my career."

Police identified the suspect as Gregorio Gonzalez, 24, of Fresno. Charges against him will include kidnapping, false imprisonment and sexual assault. Gonzalez, who lives with his grandparents, is a member of the Bulldog gang, has been arrested for possession of a sawed-off shotgun and was on probation for felony domestic violence, Dyer said.

A person described by Dyer as a good Samaritan told police he was driving when he saw a truck similar to a description of the suspect's vehicle given by authorities. The person, who had watched the news and was familiar with the case, began to follow the truck, Dyer said.

The driver initially said he only saw a man in the truck and no one else, but within a few minutes saw a child stick her head up. "He realized right then and there he had the suspect vehicle," Dyer said.

The man pulled in front of the truck and cut it off, and the young girl "took the moment of opportunity, opened up the passenger door, and jumped out and ran," he said. A second good Samaritan stayed with the girl, Dyer said.

The driver pursued the pickup truck and was able to obtain a partial license plate number, which he gave to dispatchers, the chief said.

Victor Perez, who was the motorist who followed the suspect's truck. "I thank God that he put me here to help out that little girl."

About 40 minutes later, the California Highway Patrol received a report of a truck matching the vehicle description parked behind a church, Dyer said. Responding officers were not able to find the truck at the location and contacted the tipster, who advised them it had been driven away. It was later found parked nearby, behind an apartment complex.

The officer initially thought the truck was not occupied, but a man raised up as the officer exited his car, Dyer said. The unarmed man was taken into custody without incident, he said.

A witness has identified the man as the person at the abduction scene, the chief said.

"We beat the odds," Dyer said, adding that often abduction victims aren't found until it is too late. Of those killed in an abduction, 74 percent are killed in the first three hours, he said.
The suspect was tracked in this truck by citizens and police. One car pulled in front of the truck and the girl jumped out.

"I want to say thank you to the citizens of Fresno and the good Samaritans," he said. "They are heroes." He also thanked the media for their assistance.

Authorities were notified of the incident about 8:30 p.m. Monday, Dyer had said earlier. A man reportedly drove up to an apartment complex where a group of children were playing, approached two girls and attempted to lure them into his truck. A younger girl, 6, walked away, Dyer said, but the victim began walking with the man.


Two witnesses nearby, a man and a woman, saw what was going on and yelled at the children to get away from the vehicle and the man, Dyer said. But before the girl had time to react, he said, the man grabbed the girl, pushed her into the driver's side of the pickup and sped off with the truck's headlights off.

The girl's mother got into a car and tried to chase the truck down, but was unsuccessful, Dyer said.

Police had received a report shortly before the incident of a man with a similar description and vehicle exposing himself to young girls nearby, the chief said. The man got into a pickup and drove away with his lights out, Dyer said. The mother of one girl chased him on foot but did not catch him.

The vehicle was described as being a late 1970s or early 1980s model Ford or Chevy pickup, either dark brown or reddish-brown in color, Dyer said earlier. The two-door pickup reportedly had a 6-inch-wide white stripe on the side, and was spotted on policing cameras from the area, he said.

The police chief said the man attempted to entice the girls into the truck by promising them something, but would not say what. CNN affiliate KFSN reported the man spoke in Spanish and told the children that he would take them to the Dollar Store and buy them toys if they got into the truck.

A man was detained after a witness tip was questioned and released; authorities believed he was not involved.

"This is truly the first stranger abduction kidnapping that I believe has occurred at least since I have been the chief," Dyer said. Such incidents are "very rare in law enforcement today, fortunately."
Mayor Ashley Swearengin summarized the city's reaction.

"This is a remarkable accomplishment for an entire community," she said. "This is a relatively happy ending to an otherwise tragic tale."