Houston AMBER Alert: Matheo Vasquez found; kidnapping suspect still wanted
15-month-old boy at center of AMBER Alert reunited with family
The 15-month-old boy at the center of an AMBER Alert over the weekend has been reunited with family as the search continues for the man accused of taking him.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - The 15-month-old Harris County boy at the center of an AMBER Alert has been located.
Matheo Vasquez
The suspect in his disappearance is still wanted for kidnapping, authorities say.
Matheo Vasquez found
What we know:
According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, Matheo Vasquez was recovered "safe and sound" on Monday and was being reunited with his mother.
Houston AMBER Alert: Boy at center of alert reunited with family
Watch as family members welcome home a boy, who was at the center of an AMBER Alert that was issued on Saturday.
What we don't know:
Authorities did not say where or how the boy was located.
The backstory:
Matheo's mom says she took her toddler for a two-day visit with his dad, and she says three weeks later, the dad refused to return their baby.
The dad, Joel Vasquez, was arrested on Saturday and charged with interference with child custody.
Harris County Sheriff's investigators say little Matheo's uncle, Jason Irwin Vasquez, then kidnapped the baby Saturday afternoon.
There's been a manhunt for him and for baby Matheo since the 15-month-old was taken Saturday afternoon.
Deputies were back at the home where Matheo was taken on Monday afternoon. Several patrol cars blocked the road and deputies nearly surrounded the house. We never saw them enter or remove anything from the home, but around the same time, the toddler, 15-month-old Matheo Vasquez, was dropped off at the Harris County Sheriff's Office safe and unharmed.
"Come on. Let's go home," Matheo's mom Brissa Ortiz-Perez says while hugging and kissing her baby.
"I'm so grateful for all the prayers. God never fails me. God never fails me. God is always there. This is God's baby, God's miracle. I knew he would bring him home. (Did you ever doubt you would have him again?) I did. For a second, I did. For them to go to the extent to kidnap my kid, I did, but he's home, he's healthy, he's safe. That's all that matters. He's here. Thank you for all the prayers. (Describe what the last few days have been like for you?) Horrible. You don't know where your kid is. He's home. He's safe. That's all that matters," says Ortiz-Perez.
Kidnapping suspect still wanted
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said he was last seen with 25-year-old Jason Irwin Vasquez.
After the boy was recovered on Monday, the sheriff's office said Jason Irwin Vasquez was still wanted for kidnapping.
Jason Irwin Vasquez is described as being around 5 feet, 6 inches tall with a tattoo on his right hand.
They believe Jason Vasquez was driving a 2016 dark gray GMC 4-door Sierra pickup truck with Texas license plate JZY5720.
What we don't know:
We do not know the relationship between the boy and Jason Vasquez.
What you can do:
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff's office at 713-274-9100.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Harris County Sheriff's Office.