Many times, police officers must prepare themselves to deal with the worst possible outcomes, especially in a missing person’s case involving young children.
But one police officer’s body camera captured an incredible moment of relief in one New Mexico community when a little girl was found, safe and sound, after being kidnapped during an attempted carjacking.
The incident happened Saturday evening in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when the mother of three-year-old Caraline Leon-Alcocar stopped off at a convenience store. She told police she was standing just a few feet away when the alleged car theft took place.
“Literally had her back turned and was less than two to three feet away from the vehicle,” Albuquerque Police Department Officer Simon Drobik told KOB News. “And an unknown male entered the vehicle and took off with the car.”
For the mother, this was no simple carjacking – her daughter had been sitting in the backseat when the unknown man drove off with her car.
“From the mother, who you can obviously realize she was hysterical,” Drobik said. “The child did not know how to unbuckle herself.”
With darkness descending and temperatures continuing to fall, civilian volunteers joined police officers in the search for the young girl, including the Guardians of the Children motorcycle club.
The search became more desperate after police located the missing car – and young Caraline was not inside. Midnight came and went with no sign of the missing girl.
Then around 1 A.M., Officer Chris Poccia was driving through the empty parking lot near Indian School and Washington when he spotted something with his spotlight.
WATCH: Full lapel camera video from Officer Chris Poccia
”I saw a ball of purple in the middle of a parking lot,” Officer Poccia said.
“Some of the searchers started crying. I’ll be honest…on my way home I started crying too. I was just very happy and thankful that we were able to find her.”
Leon-Alcocar was sent to UNM Hospital for observation, where she remains today.
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