by Phoenix, Arizona — A convenience store security guard and a group of moving company employees are being credited with helping authorities safely recover a missing 2-year-old girl and arrest the woman accused of taking her.
According to the Avondale Police Department, 23-year-old Marina Noriega was booked into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Intake, Transfer and Release facility in Phoenix on one count of custodial interference, a class 3 felony.
Police said the relationship between Noriega and the toddler’s family was that of a “recently met acquaintance.”
Child Disappeared After Staying Overnight
Local reports indicate the toddler’s parents allowed Noriega, described as a transient, to spend the night at their home. The child was last seen late Friday night and was reported missing Saturday.
An Amber Alert was issued as authorities began searching for the girl.
Good Samaritans Step In
The breakthrough came Sunday morning at a Phoenix-area gas station near 27th Avenue and Thomas Road.
A security guard at a QuikTrip location recognized a woman and child matching the Amber Alert description. He alerted police — and also informed a nearby crew from Camelback Moving.
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“QuikTrip security guard, C. Edmonds, first noticed the young girl and an adult woman matching the alert description,” Camelback Moving said in a statement.
The moving crew quickly sprang into action.
Employees used their trucks to block the suspect’s vehicle, preventing her from leaving the parking lot.
Phoenix police responded to the scene after receiving the citizen tip and safely recovered the child. Noriega was taken into custody without incident.
Community Praise and Safe Reunion
Camelback Moving President Chad Olsen praised his employees for their quick thinking and teamwork.
“Their actions exemplify what it means to look out for our community,” Olsen said.
A QuikTrip spokesperson also commended the security guard’s attentiveness, emphasizing that safety remains a top priority. The toddler was safely reunited with her family Sunday.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction.
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