09/26/2026
A Stranger Saw a 6-Year-Old Being Abducted—Then Refused to Stop Chasing the Van
On August 15, 2011, a 6-year-old girl was walking home through a mobile-home park in southwest Albuquerque when a man suddenly grabbed her, covered her mouth and forced her into a van.
A nearby resident, Antonio DĂaz ChacĂłn, witnessed what was happening. He immediately jumped into his pickup truck and followed the van while his wife helped contact police.
The pursuit continued through Albuquerque as ChacĂłn refused to lose sight of the vehicle. The driver, Phillip Garcia, attempted to shake him, but ChacĂłn continued following for several miles.
The chase eventually came to an abrupt end when Garcia crashed the van into a light pole.
Garcia fled from the wreck on foot, but ChacĂłn immediately ran toward the damaged vehicle. Inside, he found the young girl and brought her safely back to her family.
Police later recovered packing tape and a tie-down strap near the crash site. Additional tools and strapping materials were found inside the van, according to the case.
Garcia was eventually captured and prosecuted for the attempted abduction. In June 2013, he was convicted, and three months later a judge sentenced him to 19 years in prison.
For the girl’s family, the encounter could have ended very differently. Instead, a neighbor happened to witness the abduction and made the split-second decision to follow.
Albuquerque police credited Chacón’s actions with helping prevent the kidnapping from becoming something far worse.
He wasn’t a police officer or a trained investigator. He was simply a neighbor who saw a child in danger and decided he wasn’t going to let the vehicle disappear.
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