ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) – Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan says four children kidnapped on Saturday have been found safe in Louisiana and their alleged captor is in custody.
Jose Garcia Montes was arrested in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Tuesday after working in conjunction with authorities in Escambia County. Montes was confirmed to be the father of three of the four children.
The children, 6-year-old Kymani Nevaeh Reese, 4-year-old Kristina Marie Garcia, 3-year-old Jose Emmanuel Garcia and 1-year-old Kaelynn Sophia Garcia, were safely located with Montes, Morgan said.
ORIGINAL STORY — The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has issued an alert for four kidnaped children. The office is asking for the public’s help to locate them and their alleged kidnapper.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, 35-year-old Jose Garcia Montes took the four children from their home on Saturday and told their mother he would bring them back later that evening. He has not been seen since.
Deputies have identified the children as 6-year-old Kymani Nevaeh Reese, 4-year-old Kristina Marie Garcia, 3-year-old Jose Emmanuel Garcia and 1-year-old Kaelynn Sophia Garcia, who will turn 2 later this week.
Montes is now wanted for kidnapping. He was last seen driving a gold Toyota sedan heading towards Louisiana. Deputies have not said what Montes’ relationship is to the children.
The alleged kidnapping is said to have happened three days ago. Our sister station WKRG is looking into why the alert took so long to be issued.
Residents in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana are asked to be on the lookout for Montes’ vehicle. If you have any information on their whereabouts call 911.