January 30, 2014 - Charges are pending against a suspect arrested in a kidnapping incident at 1714 Wirt Road about 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday (Jan. 29).

The suspect, Joaquin Ramos (H/m, DOB: 4-10-90), was taken into custody about 4:55 a.m. today (Jan. 30) and faces a pending kidnapping charge.  A photo of Ramos is not available at this time.  

The victim, a 6-year-old girl, was later found at a business at 984 Gessner Road.  She appeared to be unharmed, but was taken to Texas Children's Hospital as a precaution.

HPD Homicide Division Sergeant M. Brady reported:

The victim and her mother had just pulled into a garage at an apartment complex at 1714 Wirt Road.  As the mother was unloading the vehicle, the girl went to look at some ice on the fence in the parking garage.  At that time, a gray Jeep Cherokee pulled into the garage, made a U-turn and pulled up alongside where the girl was standing.   The driver exited the Jeep and walked to the passenger side where he opened the back passenger door.  The male then walked toward the girl, who tried to run away.  The male ran after the girl, grabbed her and took her to the passenger side of the vehicle and put her into the back seat.  The male then got into the driver seat of the Jeep and exited the parking garage.  The mother went back down to the garage and began to chase the Jeep on foot as it left the garage. The mother was not able to stop the Jeep, so she ran back to her vehicle and pursued the Jeep, but lost sight of it. 

At approximately 4:10 pm, the male and girl were seen walking into the Target store at 984 Gessner Road at Memorial City Mall.  The girl went into the restroom where she alerted a customer that she had been kidnapped.  The customer informed store management, who went into the restroom and recovered the girl.  The male left the store before authorities were able to detain him.

Early Wednesday evening, investigators released surveillance photos of the suspect and the Jeep Cherokee he was driving when he abducted the girl. 

Family members of Joaquin Ramos saw the photos in the news media and contacted investigators with information on the suspect's whereabouts.  Ramos was taken into custody at 921 North Gessner Road without incident and subsequently confessed to his role in kidnapping the girl, who he did not know.  

Investigators are not available for interviews at this time.



JFC     1-30-14
Inc #012150114