Kidnapped 5-year-old Natalie rescued by police

The police rescued the girl after eight hours search in north Phoenix, Arizona.

"We have had our Christmas miracle," Sgt. Andy Hill said. "She is alive and well."

Kidnapping incident
Natalie was playing near a tree outside her with her two sisters, aged 7 and 9, on Friday. A man, who parked his Ford pickup truck nearby, walked over to the girls and first grabbed the 7-year-old and forcibly took picture of her. Then he pulled Natalie into his truck and fled from the area. The incident occurred at about 2:15 p.m. on Friday.

Witnesses stated that when the man was fleeing, he hit a parked car.

“We had a couple of adult witnesses there who saw the suspect and the girl inside the truck with him," Hill said.

After the incident, Natalie’s elder sister went to a neighbor apartment and began banging at the door. Her call was answered by a woman named Donna Reed, who called 911 for assistance.

"She said some man just took her little sister," said Reed. “She was a nervous wreck."

Rescue operation
After the abduction, the police issued an Amber alert and launched a manhunt involving officers in foot, police cars and helicopters.

Officer Mike Burns spotted a vehicle, which appeared to be suspect’s vehicle, on a west Phoenix avenue.

Burns pulled alongside the vehicle and saw the man, who matched the description of the kidnapper. He thought that he also saw a small child.

Realizing that he could be caught, the suspect took off. Burns then alerted the officers who placed spike strips across the road, which punctured his vehicles tires. As a result the suspect lost control and crashed his vehicle.

Though the suspect tried to flee, the officers managed to arrest him. The details of the suspect have not been divulged. "We have to determine if this is the original suspect," Hill said.

Natalie, who appears to be in good shape, was thus rescued.

The girls are staying with their aunt, who has legal custody of them, and her boyfriend.