Two Louisiana sanitation workers helped police track down a missing 10-year-old girl who had been taken away by a registered sex offender, according to authorities.
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One of the workers, Dion Merrick, shared on Facebook that he noticed a gray sedan parked in a field in St. Martin’s Parish on Monday and recognized him from a police alert about the missing girl.
The New Iberia Police Department issued an alert late on Sunday to Jalisa Lasalle, who is believed to be in imminent danger. Police notified the public that their hijacker was last seen driving a Nissan sedan.
Police confirmed on Facebook that some citizens saw the car, which was being driven by Michael Sereal. The 33-year-old man is a registered sex offender, according to the records of the Iberia Parish Sherriff’s Office.
After recognizing the car, Merrick immediately called 911 and changed his truck to block the driveway until a policeman arrived.
Sereal was detained by deputies in the parish of St. Martin and then transferred to the custody of the New Iberia Police Department, officials said. An arrest warrant was issued for qualified kidnapping.
“I just saved that little girl’s life,” Merrick said during a video on Facebook. “Thank God they’ve got you now.”
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State Police said Merrick was known to a relative of the girl. However, Sereal had been convicted of a young man’s carnal knowledge about 15 years ago, according to police records.
“Thanks for saving that girl,” wrote a user on Merrick’s Facebook page. “My daughter has been missing for 22 years. We need more people like you.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.