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Dec 9, 2008 9:43 pm US/Central
Kidnapped Double Oak Woman Describes Ordeal
Victim Says She Knew One Of Her Kidnappers
DOUBLE OAK (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
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Adolfo Chavez
Denton Co. Sheriff's Office
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Porras Placido
Denton Co. Sheriff's Office
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Candelario Romero
Denton Co. Sheriff's Office
A North Texas woman is safe after spending Monday with three men who allegedly kidnapped her and demanded a large ransom from her family.
The victim, Amber Fletcher, was reported missing at around 10:30 a.m. Monday when her parents called 911. The 21-year-old woman later told police three suspects forced her out of her Double Oak home and into their car.
"I was just praying for God to send two big angels to guard me," said Amber. She said she prayed a lot during the 10-hour ordeal. "I was praying 99 percent of the time."
"Of course I made the silly prayers. 'God if you get me out of this, I'll volunteer. I'll be a better example for you. I will just shout your name,'" she said.
Her mom prayed too. "I prayed all day that God would touch their hearts and that would supernaturally cause them to be confused… whatever it was going to take in order for us to get her back," said her mother, G.G. Fletcher.
According to Amber's mother, her daughter knew one of the kidnappers. Though blindfolded, Amber recognized one of the kidnappers as a neighbor. "I heard his voice and I was like, 'I cannot believe he's doing this to me,'" Amber said.
Police say one of the men bought a home from the family and knew they had money. "We believe it was possible they knew the family would be financially positioned to turn over the ransom," explained Double Oak Police Chief Jason Jones.
According to Chief Jones, the Fletcher family received a call from their daughter Monday afternoon who said she needed $100,000 or kidnappers would kill her.
One of the three suspects then got on the phone and demanded $100,000 and said they would kill the woman if they didn't get the money. G.G. was the only one he would talk to about the ransom.
"I could really sense desperation because he would just be telling me, 'I just need the money. That's all you need to know,'" said G.G.
The suspect then said he would call back with more information in about two hours.
A command post was set up at the Double Oak Town Hall as investigators from several agencies, including the Texas Rangers and the FBI, worked to find the missing woman.
According to investigators, the three suspects kept moving around with the victim, apparently unaware that officers were closing in on them. "The mother was speaking with the daughter. She [the mother] had to go to different locations," Chief Jones explained. "They were trying to get the suspects to decide on an actual location to pick up the ransom money."
Around 9:30 p.m. Monday, patrolling teams spotted a green Toyota Tundra that looked suspicious. The driver, 39-year-old Adolfo Chavez, was stopped and later identified as one of the three suspects. He eventually led authorities to the location of the kidnapped victim and remaining two suspects. Porras Placido, 37, Candelario Romero, 44, and Amber were all found in Bartonville, just west of Double Oak.
The victim was not seriously harmed and no ransom was ever paid. She had a bump on her head and duct tape burns on her wrists.
"I was duct taped and once I got to the trailer they drove me to, they ripped it off," said Amber.
She also had cuts on her ankles from when the kidnappers slammed a door on her.
The mayor of Double Oak says Amber's mother played a big role in trying to save her daughter. "She was willing to go out in her own vehicle and wait as instructed and work with all the law enforcement officers to figure out what she needed to do," explained Pamela King. "So, she was very courageous."
"Whenever those thoughts would come in, I'd say, 'Nope. She's going to be fine. She's going to come back.' And that happened," said G.G.
Amber, who said she had been battling depression, is not depressed anymore. "I'm taking this as a lesson to live life," she said.
Before being transported to the Denton County Jail, the suspects were questioned at the Double Oak Fire Department. It was there that suspects Romero and Placido allegedly confessed to the kidnapping and also implicated Chavez in the crime.
The suspects are charged with Aggravated Kidnapping. Read the Double Oak Kidnapping Affidavits.
The Fletcher family introduced their now famous Corny Dogs at the Texas State Fair sometime between the years 1938 and 1942.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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