Two Louisiana sanitation workers were praised Monday for their quick thinking after they helped police track down a 10-year-old girl who was abducted, authorities said.
Dion Merrick and Brandon Antoine were picking up their usual trash on Monday morning when they found a silver sedan in the middle of a field in St. Louis. Martin Parish, La, about 20 km northeast of New Iberia. The car matches the description of a previous Amber Alert.
Merrick said he called 911 and drove his garbage truck to block the vehicle until authorities arrived.
“I just saved that little girl’s life,” Merrick said on Facebook Live. “They found him now.”
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The girl, Jalisa Lasalle, was missing from a family member’s home in New Iberia on Sunday afternoon between 1pm and 2pm, according to New Iberia police. She appears to be unharmed, authorities said. She is being evaluated by medical staff on Monday morning, according to the reports.
Jalisa Lasalle (10) went missing from a family member’s home in New Iberia
(New Iberia Police Station)
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Authorities arrested the suspect, Michael Sereal, 33, who was seen in a video led by police. At one point in the video, he was allegedly heard shouting, “Why are you doing this to me?”
According to Iberia Parish’s records, Sereal is a registered sex offender. He faces charges of aggravated abduction of a child and failure to register as a sex offender, Lafayette’s KATC reported, citing prison records.
Michael Sereal, 33, was arrested and charged with kidnapping Jalisa Lasalle
(Louisiana State Police)
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“Good job,” a law enforcement member told Merrick and Antoine in the video. “Thank you for your help.”
Associated Press contributed to this report