Samaritan Recounts Dramatic Kidnapping Rescue

ABC News- The good Samaritan who rescued an 8-year-old California girl from an alleged kidnapping after a dramatic car chase said today he was afraid for a second -- until he saw the terrified girl's face in the suspect's car.

"The second time I reached him, the way he acted -- yes, I was, for a split second I was nervous until I saw the little girl and all fear was out the window after that," Fresno, Calif., resident Victor Perez told "Good Morning America." "I didn't have no fear. I wasn't thinking of me no more. I was just thinking we need to get that little girl to safety.

"I wasn't going to give up. ... I couldn't give up," said the unemployed construction worker.

The girl was playing with friends outside her house in Fresno early Monday evening, when police say Gregorio Gonzales tried to lure the girls into a pickup truck.

The children ran, but Gonzales allegedly grabbed one of the girls and sped away. Her mother chased after the truck, but it was too late.

A statewide Amber Alert was issued, and more than 100 officers immediately went on the hunt, searching for the truck, which was captured on surveillance video at a nearby intersection.

Perez said he saw the alert and was astonished how close the alleged crime happened to his home. When he went outside, he said his cousin spotted the truck down the street.

"I had a split-second decision to decide to call 911 or go after it," Perez said. "I decided to go after it while my cousin was dialing 911. I took a chance to go and ask a question to see if that was the man that we're looking for."

After several attempts to pull the man over, Perez was eventually able to cut off the other driver at which point he apparently released the little girl.

"She wasn't hurt. She was frightened -- very, very shaky," Perez said. "She just kept saying she was scared."

A few hours later, police arrested Gonzales, a 24-year-old known gang member who was already on felony probation. Authorities say Gonzales had also exposed himself to two other young girls earlier that day.

Without Perez's action, Fresno police chief Jerry Dyer said the girl could've vanished forever.

"If not for obviously Victor being as brave as he is, we may have never recovered her," Dyer said.

Gonzales allegedly held the girl for 11 terrifying hours. He is being charged with kidnapping and sexual assault.

Dyer said he was in the hospital when the young victim was reunited with her mother.

"It was very emotional," he said. "That was the highlight of my career to see the joy that was in both of their eyes... Just to know that we were a part of that."

The girl is now recovering, and on their home today, her family hung messages of thanks.

"Thank you, Fresno Police Department," a sign read.

Perez said he was thankful for the opportunity to help a little girl in danger.

"It happens so close all the time and sometimes you can't do nothing about it," he said. "But when you have the opportunity, you take action. That's what I tried to do.

ABC News has removed the identity of the girl who was kidnapped because police say she was sexually assaulted and ABC News does not identify sex crime victims.

Sirens in Hawaii Warn of Possible Tsunami

(CNN) -- Sirens sounded early Saturday morning across Hawaii, warning people of a possible tsunami and telling people to in coastal areas to evacuate.

The sirens sounded at 6 a.m. local time (11 a.m. ET/1600 GMT) to warn of a potential tsunami triggered by a 8.8 earthquake in Chile.

The siren systems in each county are sounding to "to alert residents and visitors to evacuate coastal areas," Hawaii's Civil Defense Division said in a statement.

"Residents will be advised by their respective country civil defense or emergency management agencies to evacuate coastal areas."

The earliest estimated arrival for a wave that could affect Hawaii is 11:05 a.m. local time (4:05 p.m. ET/2105 GMT), the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center Director Charles McCreery said Hawaii would see some effect from the earthquake.

"We believe it will be a threat here in Hawaii, that's why we initiated a warning, not only for a Hawaii, but for the entire Pacific," McCreery said.

Asked by CNN affiliate KHON whether it was possible Hawaii wouldn't see any effect from the earthquake, McCreery said, "No, I wouldn't say that's possible at all. I think there's no chance we'll see no effect from this event.

"So people need to take this very seriously."

But he added, "We're not expecting this to be a worst-case scenario, but we are expecting ... dangerous waves coming on shore, and people need to take it very seriously."

Speaking of the evacuations, Shelly Ichishita, spokeswoman for the Civil Defense Division, said people in the evacuation zones -- basically coastal areas -- were "asked to go inland," she said. "We do not have evacuation shelters open."

John Cummings, Oahu Emergency Management Department spokesman, told The Honolulu Advertiser that "If you live anywhere in the evacuation zone, you have to evacuate.

"This is a serious event. We're going to treat this as a destructive-type tsunami."

The state's two U.S. senators, Daniel K. Inouye and Daniel K. Akaka, urged Hawaii residents to remain calm.

"If you live in an evacuation zone I urge you to gather your family and please leave the area," Inouye said.

"It is important to remain calm, listen to the news, and follow the instructions being issued by state and county civil defense officials."

Earlier Saturday, people rushed to supermarkets to stock up on food, water and other supplies.

"We got lots of water, we got our batteries, we got toilet paper," one woman told KITV, while she stood in a line with other shoppers and their carts stuffed with supplies.

Asked if she was scared, another shopper said, "Very, very. We're from Georgia, so ..."

Businesses in the area said they will be closed all day Saturday, the affiliate reported.

Several tsunami waves have come ashore along the Chilean coast after the earthquake, which killed at least 122 people, U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Victor Sardina told CNN.

He said the largest was recorded at 9 feet near the quake's epicenter. Another wave, 7.7 feet hit the Chilean town of Talcahuano, according to Eric Lau of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Video from the town showed one car sitting in a large expanse of water.

McCreery said the first tsunami wave would sweep across Hawaii in about 30 minutes.

"And then the hazard will go on for many hours, because these waves, they get reflected off the islands, they wrap around the islands, and it becomes a very complex wave field that persists for quite a while."

Nevaeh Case May Have New Witness

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office said Monday that it wants to speak with the driver of a green, box-style minivan who may have information in connection with the disappearance of 5-year-old Nevaeh Buchanan.

The van was parked at the Hollywood School playground behind the Charlotte Arms apartments between 6 and 7 p.m. May 24. That's about the time when Nevaeh disappeared while riding her scooter outside her home in the complex.

"We just have to find the exact window when they were there and what they may have seen when they were there," Sheriff Tilman Crutchfield said Monday.

Meanwhile, a judge set a $250 bond Monday for a third man jailed on an unrelated charge of arson-preparation to burn.

Monroe County District Judge Jack Vitale told James Easter, 64, that he could go free if he posted bond because he has been cleared as a person of interest in Nevaeh's disappearance.

Investigators arrested Easter when they saw him burning something in his backyard about 5 a.m. Sunday, just after he had been questioned about visits to Nevaeh's apartment complex.

"I did burn cardboard. I did have a fire in the back -- not guilty of destroying property," Easter said before being quieted by the judge. Easter later posted bond.

Two other men identified as persons of interest in the Nevaeh case -- George Kennedy and Roy Smith -- are still being held in jail while the Michigan Department of Corrections investigates possible parole violations, MDOC spokesman John Cordell said Monday.

Both are friends of Nevaeh's mother and both are convicted sex offenders whose paroles forbid them from having contact with children or anyone who has children.

Nevaeh is 3 feet 10 inches and weighs 45 pounds. She was wearing a light-blue shirt with red and white stripes and knee-length jeans when she disappeared.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the Sheriff's Office at 734-243-7070. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward up to $1,000 for tips leading to the return of Nevaeh. Call 800-773-2587. Staff writer Zlati Meyer contributed to this story.

Amber Alert Florida 13 Year Old Krystal Borrego

A Florida AMBER Alert has been issued for Krystal Borrego, a white female, 14 years old, 5 feet 02 inches tall, 130 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes, last seen in the area of 9th Court and Washington Ave in Homestead.

Krystal may be with an unknown black male in a 1990's, dark red two door Saturn. If you have any information on the whereabouts of this child please contact the Homestead Police Department at 1-305-247-1535 or 911.

UPDATE: Krystal has been found, and the update canceled.

House Bill 3385 Passed: New Day for the AMBER Alert Program

From CrimeSearchersOnline.com:

"Today is a new day for the AMBER Alert program which has been under public scrutiny for not protecting children that go willingly with adults who are at risk for being a victim of sexual assault.

The House Bill 3385 was passed yesterday which allows Law Enforecment agency's to issue Amber Alerts for children believed to be in danger of sexual assault.

This bill also modified the criteria to allow alerts issued for a "child under 14 believed to be taken willingly, but without parental consent, by a person who is more than three years older than the child and is not a relative."

"The current criteria for issuance of an Amber Alert is sometimes too narrow," Eric Coleman who currently chairs the committee on County Affairs. "The state does not consider children in jeopardy of being sexually assaulted to be in danger."

In the United States alone, an estimated 800,000 children are reported missing, more than 2,000 children every day. An alarming pattern of that number, 58,000 are abducted by non-family members, for which the primary motivation is sexual.

76% are girls with the average age being over 11 years of age. In 80% of these cases, the initial contact between the victim and abductor is within 1/4 mile of the victim's last known location (Study of cases reported to law enforcement in 1997 by Attorney General of the State of Washington).