Charlotte Moccia usually takes the school bus home from school, but afterwards, she has a short walk before she gets to her house. You would hope that would be safe for an 11-year-old girl, but earlier this week, when she was walking home from school, a car pulled up, and a neighbor heard someone yelling, “Help!”

By the time the neighbor made it outside, it was too late, and Moccia was gone. 

Having your child abducted is every parent’s worst nightmare. Thankfully, this story has a happy ending.

It was a team effort to find Moccia. Video footage from the day before the abduction helped police see the suspect’s car following Moccia home from school. An Amber Alert kept motorists on the lookout, and one driver spotted the Honda Civic with the correct license plate number.

According to ABC News, Lt. Charles Murray said, “We’re eternally grateful to the motorists that paid attention to the Amber Alert and called and reported seeing the vehicle. There were a number of those calls and they made this rescue possible.”

State Police Lt. Bob Ackerman added, “She’s an amazing little girl. I can’t believe how strong she was dealing with this.”

The suspect is 24-year-old Miguel Rodriguez. He has been arrested and denied bail.

This is really an amazing story of a little girl who escaped a potentially tragic situation. Watch the video below to hear how the community worked together to find her and reunite her with her parents.

 

We can only imagine how scary this situation must have been for Moccia and her family. We’re so glad she made it home safely, and it sounds like, unharmed.

Do your children walk home from school? What precautions do you take to keep your children safe?