A Houston couple have their 3-year-old daughter back after she allegedly was abducted from her home — but not before a 50-year-old man checked into a hotel with her a mile-and-a-half away from their house, police say.
According to the New York Post, Lincy Guity has been returned to her family after being abducted between Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Her parents went to bed about 11 p.m. Saturday in their Houston apartment. They woke up at 5 a.m. on Sunday to find the door ajar and their little girl missing.
According to police, a resident of the complex reported seeing suspect Holman Hernandez with the little girl. KFDA-TV reported she was last seen at the complex about 2 a.m.
Police then issued an Amber Alert for her, providing information about Hernandez’s Nissan.
UPDATE: The suspect is believed to be in a 2007 grey Nissan Xterra. LP: NKD7882. If you have info on the whereabouts of missing 3 year-old Linzy Guity or suspect Holman Hernandez, call HPD at 713-308-3600. #hounews#AmberAlert pic.twitter.com/j7zMVl9tgl
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) August 21, 2022
The vehicle was discovered at the hotel about 2 p.m., they said.
“Management informed officers that they rented a room at approximately 7:30 to the suspect,” Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said during a news briefing Sunday.
When officers knocked on the door, however, they didn’t get an answer. After they forced their way in, police said, they found both Hernandez and Lincy.
Finner said the suspect put up a bit of a fight.
“He did put up a little bit of resistance before they took him into custody, but nobody’s injured,” the police chief said.
Lincy was examined at a hospital but appears to be in good condition.
It’s unclear what motivated the abduction.
Police couldn’t determine any connection between Hernandez and Lincy or her parents but were still investigating potential links.
As of Sunday, Holman remained in custody and was awaiting charges.
It’s harrowing to discover your daughter has gone missing — and even more harrowing to have her discovered in the company of a 50-year-old man at a hotel.
That being said, this could have ended quite a bit worse if a resident hadn’t been paying attention.
Thanks to that individual, police were able to track down Hernandez and Lincy quickly.
It remains to be seen how the suspect got himself into the apartment and how he knew the girl was there — but Houston police have her back with her family. That much we can be thankful for.
