A kidnapping victim who called out to another woman for help at a convenience store was rescued early Sunday after police located her with her baby daughter at a Otay Mesa hotel.
Authorities issued an Amber Alert for the woman, Bianca Alvarado, and the child, Ella, 18 months old, who allegedly had been kidnapped by the girl’s father, Jason Gasca, in Pico Rivera. The California Highway Patrol activated the alert on behalf of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The suspect and the mother and daughter ended up at a 7-Eleven store off Siempre Viva Road near the Port of Entry in Otay Mesa, according to OnScene.TV.
The witness called the police after Alvarado, 24, told her that she was being kidnapped. Authorities started a search of the area at that time, and notified border officials.
Meanwhile, employees at Quality Suites San Diego on Otay Center Drive, thanks to the Amber alert, noticed the suspect’s name after he checked in with the woman and baby. They also spotted the suspect’s car, a black Nissan Sentra, parked in their lot.
San Diego police surrounded the hotel and observed the occupants through a window before urging the suspect to surrender. Gasca, 25, complied and officers arrested him.
The mother complained of head pains and was sent to a local hospital. The police took the child to their sub-station to await the arrival of law enforcement officials from Los Angeles.