Brave 6-Year-Old Rescued After Telling a Stranger She Was Kidnapped...But It's Where Police Arrested the Suspect That's Really Bizarre

A 6-year-old was savvy enough to use the opportunity in a store restroom to tell a customer she had been kidnapped, leading to her rescue from her abductor and putting the man who confessed to the crime behind bars. But the story of how he was arrested has an unexpected twist.

Houston police say the 6-year-old, Kelly, was snatched Wednesday afternoon at the apartment complex where she lives. The girl's mother was unloading the car, while the girl was looking at ice near the fence of the parking garage. That's when 23-year-old Joaquin Ramos allegedly pulled up his Jeep Cherokee near the girl and walked toward her. According to police, Kelly tried to run away but was grabbed and put in the car. It's not clear based on the police report how much the mother saw of the incident, but she tried to run after the Jeep and was unable to stop it.

Joaquin Ramos was charged with kidnapping after a 6-year-old told a customer in a Target bathroom that she had been abducted. (Image source: Houston Police Department)

Just after 4:10 p.m., the man and the girl were at a local Target store when he allowed her to go to the restroom by herself. That's where the 6-year-old told another customer she had been kidnapped. The customer informed Target employees, who took the girl into their care and contacted the police. The abductor had left the store by the time police arrived.

This 6-year-old was kidnapped but informed a Target customer and was safely returned to her mother. The suspect in her kidnapping was later apprehended by police. (Image source: KHOU-TV)

According to KTRK-TV, the girl was not injured but was examined at Texas Children's Hospital as a precaution.

Later on Wednesday, police obtained security footage from Target's cameras and released images of the suspect.

On Thursday, Ramos was located and arrested at Memorial Hermann Hospital where his wife had just given birth to their fourth child, KHOU-TV reported. Members of Ramos' family had seen the images of the kidnapping suspect on the news and told authorities where they could find him.

Police released this image from Target surveillance footage. Family members of Joaquin Ramos saw it on news reports and told authorities where they could find him -- at the hospital where his wife had given birth. (Image source: Houston Police Department)

According to the police report, Ramos confessed to taking the victim and said he didn't know her.

The girl's family is now trying to make sense of why he took the child.

"I don’t know, I guess he is just maybe a pervert. But why would you have a pervert and the lady living with him has kids," Marlene Fernandez, the girl's aunt, to KHOU. "Why would you let a pervert live with you if you have kids with you? What were his plans?"

Whatever his plans, Fernandez said "he's going to pay."

"...he’s going to pay in jail because we already know what they do to guys like that in jail," she told the news station.

Watch KHOU-TV's report:

Fernandez told KTRK that the victim's mother had already lost her husband.

"Losing a 6-year-old, my sister would have gone insane. And I hope he gets what he gets and I hope everybody listening to this, just take care of your kids," Fernandez said.

(H/T: Daily Mail)