"It's horrendous to have a crime scene of this nature."
update at 9:30am PT on August 6, 2022
According to police (via Fox 13), the two dismembered bodies found at the home where a 12-year-old was allegedly held captive have been identified as the young girl's mother and brother.
"They were boyfriend and girlfriend," Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett said of Pascual-Reyes and 29-year-old victim Sandra Vazquez Ceja. "They were actually living there all together."
As for the kidnapping charge against Pascual-Reyes, it's because the girl was held against her will, not abducted from elsewhere, per Abbett, who also said it didn't seem like anyone else knew about the murders or that the 12-year-old victim was being held at the suspect's mobile home.
update at 6:35am PT on August 4, 2022
The two bodies found in the same home where a 12-year-old girl was allegedly held captive have been identified.
According to the AP, 29-year-old Sandra Vazquez Ceja and a 14-year-old boy identified by only his initials were reportedly "cut into small pieces at the joints to hide evidence."
Arrest records show Ceja has cited the same address as the mobile home as her residence when she received a traffic ticket back in April. Ceja was smothered with a pillow, while the boy was hit and kicked to death.
TooFab has confirmed the identity of Ceja with the Sheriff, who added that they finished processing the crime scene on Wednesday night and are still waiting results from forensics. The 12-year-old is in the custody of the state, "being protected" and "doing real well."
Authorities tell TooFab that the suspect, Jose Paulino Pascual-Reyes, had his first appearance hearing on Wednesday and was given no bond. An attorney was also appointed to represent him.
original story below
A 12-year-old girl in Alabama is being hailed a "hero" after she reportedly escaped capture, prompting an investigation that led to one arrest and the gruesome discovery of two decomposed bodies.
On Monday morning, a motorist came across the young girl on the road in Dadeville and called authorities, who took her to get medical attention. According to a criminal complaint, the child had been tied to bed posts and kept in a drugged state with alcohol, before chewing through her restraints -- breaking her braces in the process -- and escaping. She had reportedly been assaulted in the "head area."
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View StoryThe investigation led to the arrest of 37-year-old Jose Paulino Pascual-Reyes (pictured in mugshot at top) on Monday and the discovery of two decomposing bodies inside the mobile home where he lived. According to The Outlook, the bodies were found "sandwiched in the flood in bags." Other people were also living in the residence when police arrived.
Pascual-Reyes was arrested on suspicion of first-degree kidnapping and also faces three counts of capital murder and two counts of abuse of corpse. "I feel certain that several more charges will follow," added Tallapoosa County District Attorney Jeremy Duerr during a press conference on Tuesday.
"She is a hero," Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett said of the young victim at the same presser. "We gave her medical attention. She is safe now and so we want to keep her that way. That's all I can actually say. She's doing well."
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View Story"It's horrendous to have a crime scene of this nature and also a 12-year-old juvenile to deal with it, it's a horrendous situation," he added.
Per Abbett, the girl was "not considered a missing person" and wouldn't reveal whether authorities had located her family members. He also didn't provide any details on if the girl had any possible relationship to Pascual-Reyes or the deceased -- explaining, "We are not at the stage to release the relationship. We do not want to infringe on what is going on behind the scenes."
Investigators believe the child was kidnapped around July 24.
The two bodies are with a forensics team, which is working to identify them.