Skip to main content

'They're Our Heroes': Missing Girl Found Safe After Church Members Spot Kidnapping Suspect's Car

Share This article

Two churchgoers in Fort Worth, Texas, are being hailed as heroes by local authorities after spotting the car driven by a young girl's alleged kidnapper.

Eight-year-old Salem Sabatka was found safe around 2:00 am local time Sunday, and the 51-year-old man accused of abducting her was taken into custody, Fort Worth Police Department spokesperson Buddy Calzada told reporters.

"It's a phenomenal feeling," he said. "This story right now would put a smile on anybody's face."

Sabatka and her mother were walking in their neighborhood together Saturday evening when the suspect drove up, grabbed the girl, and dragged her to his car.  The woman tried to fight the man, but police said the suspect shoved her out of the car and got away.

The woman immediately called 911 to report the abduction. 

The Fort Worth Police Department issued an Amber Alert and posted images of the girl and the suspect's vehicle on social media to help spread the word.  They also included a video of the kidnapping that was caught by a doorbell camera nearby.

Calzada said two people going to church spotted the suspect's car at a local hotel.  The pair said they recognized the vehicle from the department's social media posts and called the police.
 
"The police department is extremely proud of them, and I'm sure we're going to bring them into the light here pretty soon," Calzada said. "They're our heroes tonight, I'll tell you that." 

Police found the young girl safe at the hotel. She was checked out at a local hospital before being reunited with her family.
 
The suspect, Michael Webb, now faces charges of aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony. 

Share This article

About The Author

Steve Warren is a senior multimedia producer for CBN News. Warren has worked in the news departments of television stations and cable networks across the country. In addition, he also worked as a producer-director in television production and on-air promotion. A Civil War historian, he authored the book The Second Battle of Cabin Creek: Brilliant Victory. It was the companion book to the television documentary titled Last Raid at Cabin Creek currently streaming on Amazon Prime. He holds an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a B.A. in Communication from the University of