A Louisiana sanitation worker helped save a young girl who was allegedly abducted on Sunday night.
The Acadania Advocate reports that a 10-year-old girl, who was the centerpiece of an AMBER Alert, was found safe in St. Martin Parish on Monday. Sanitation worker Dion Merrick called police after he noticed a car matching the description and license plate of a vehicle listed in the AMBER Alert.
Merrick, who has a daughter himself, said he saw the sedan parked in a secluded field that was visible from the road where he was working. Merrick blocked the driveway of the area with a large garbage truck, according to his Facebook post.
When police arrived, they found the child inside the vehicle with a 33-year-old sex offender identified as Michael R. Sereal of New Iberia.
“This is a blessing,” Merrick said. “It’s got me tearing up right now….anything could have went on.”
“If you see something that’s not right, call 911.”
A Louisiana State Police spokesman said that Sereal is an acquaintance of the victim’s family, The Daily Iberian reports. The child was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation.
Sereal became a registered sex offender on the Iberia Parish registry after a 2006 conviction of carnal knowledge of a juvenile.
The investigation continues. Anyone with information should call the New Iberia Police Department at 337-369-2306.
Check back for updates.
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[Featured Photo: Michael Sereal/Police Handout]
