Kidnapping charges have been filed against an individual who is believed to have abducted a 12-year-old girl in Houston, Texas earlier this week.
An AMBER Alert was issued on Tuesday for Chloie Brewer-Clark, who was last seen at a hotel in Houston with 26-year-old Ariel Anderson, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Hours later, the Houston Police Department released a statement saying that Brewer-Clark had been safely located and was “back with her family.”
A male suspect was detained for questioning, the statement added.
According to the Houston PD, Brewer-Clark took her mother’s vehicle without permission and drove to the motel where she met Anderson. Surveillance footage showed them entering and leaving the motel together before traveling to Baton Rouge. Anderson was taken into custody by Baton Rouge police, and authorities found evidence linking him to the case, including the use of Chloie’s debit card at a Baton Rouge motel.
“We continue to work with our law enforcement partners in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area, as this investigation remains ongoing at this time,” the Houston Police Department said.
Newsweek has reached out to the Houston Police Department for further comment.
Local outlet WAFB reported that Anderson made various statements during questioning. He reportedly said that he initially drove back to Houston from Baton Rouge when he learned that he was being looked for in connection to the Brewer-Clark’s disappearance, but then returned to try and gain information from the hotel. The outlet reported that he later retracted the statement.
According to local news reports, Louisiana native Ariel Anderson was booked into the East Baton Rogue Sheriff’s Office. He has been charged with the felony kidnapping of Chloie Brewer-Clark. The suspect faces additional charges of “contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.”
Bail was set at $5,000 for Anderson and he is not to travel outside of the state of Louisiana.
A protective order will be issued to ensure that Anderson does not contact Brewer-Clark and stays away from her, as per local news reports.
Prior to his arrest, Anderson had worked with the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections at the Allen Correctional Center and Elayn Hunt Correctional Centre. A spokesperson for the agency said Anderson “separated” from his employer on Tuesday, according to local news reports.
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