A Belizean man, 19, known as “Ariel,” believed to be a human trafficker, has been arrested by Mexican police after he attempted to kidnap two girls, each 8 years old, from a school compound in Sabido, Mexico, a village located across the Rio Hondo River, which borders Belize and southern Mexico.
The girls were released when their mothers raised the alarm that they had been taken, at about 3:30 Monday evening, when they went to the school to pick them up.
According to Por Esto (Quintana Roo), a Mexican newspaper, Ariel’s accomplice, a 13-year-old girl, approached the two little girls, who had just come out of classes, trying to convince them to follow her to the edge of the river, and the children went.
When their mothers went to pick up the girls and they were not at the school, however, an alarm was raised, and an immediate search began, and the girls were seen returning to the village from the river area. They reported what had happened, and authorities began to look for the man and the young girl.
After the report was made to the police, the 13-year-old girl was seen again around the school the next day, where she was identified by the two little girls and pointed out to school officials, who called police, and the girl was immediately arrested.
The 13-year-old girl cooperated with police and took them to a man called “Ariel,” who was immediately arrested.
Por Esto stated that “Ariel” is from Belize, and has relatives in Sabido, where he frequently goes to spend time. His mother is also from Belize, Por Esto said.
The father of one of the girls who was stolen from school, Juan Manuel Estrella, through the newspaper Por Esto, requested the Attorney General of the State, Gaspar Armando Garcia Torres, to investigate the case, as the 19-year-old man may be linked to organized crime.
The 13-year-old girl and the 19-year-old man were taken to the Municipal Court yesterday, but were released from custody after the two little girls were unable to identify them as the persons who tried to take them, despite their having been initially identified by the two young girls.
Por Esto reports that parents and residents of Sabido were very angry over the decision to release the alleged kidnappers.