Illegal immigrant accused of trying to kidnap teen deported five times: officials
A Mexican illegal immigrant who has been deported from the United States five times was arrested after he allegedly tried to kidnap an Alabama teen in a store parking lot on New Year’s Eve around 5:40 p.m., officials said.
Yordy Centeno Melchor, 31, was charged with attempted second-degree kidnapping and was held on $100,000 bail in connection with the incident.
“It looks like when he came into the parking lot, he was kind of coaxing the girl who was trying to move a stroller,” Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin told Fox Digital News. “She was in that area or his Near the car. But he coaxed her to go to the car. She was 17 years old.”
Another man nearby apparently saw the girl “in distress” and confronted Melchor, who then allegedly fled the scene and the Sheriff’s Office issued a BOLO alert for the area.
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Yordy Centeno Melchor, 31, was charged with attempted second-degree kidnapping and was held on $100,000 bail in connection with the incident. (Elmore County Sheriff’s Office)
The Sheriff’s Office later obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s phone, and in his “notes,” he detailed “what he was going to do,” Franklin said.
“He was going to give her $200, and I’m not going to go into the intricacies of that, but he was obviously trying to get her into the car,” the deputy explained.
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Officials are unsure exactly when Melchor wrote the note, but the victim told authorities he showed it to her — possibly to communicate with the girl that he was going to give her money. .
The alleged kidnapping attempt occurred in a parking lot in Holtsville. (Google Maps)
An employee at the Holtsville store where the incident occurred shared video footage of the parking lot with authorities, who found the suspect’s license plate number.
Days later, in a county 30 miles north of Elmore, officers stopped a vehicle matching the crime scene and ran a license plate matching the suspect vehicle. The driver, Melchor, also matched the description of the suspect.
“We will work with ICE. We will always work with ICE.”
Officials later confirmed the suspect’s identity and his previous deportations. They are still trying to determine what led to Melchor’s five deportations.
Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said his office will cooperate with ICE. (Facebook)
After Melchor was arrested, a local woman saw a photo of Melchor and reported seeing a man who looked like him in the women’s restroom of Walmart.
Melchor has ties to San Antonio, Texas, and Shelby County, Alabama. The sergeant said it was understood he frequently drove between the two areas to visit family.
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If authorities are able to identify other victims, the suspect could face additional charges.
Franklin described his officers as “a great group of individuals” who “all face the same dilemma to keep Elmore County safe.” He added that Elmore County is not a particularly large or small county, but officials “just don’t deal with a lot” of crimes of this nature in the area.
