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Woman rescued after 12-hour kidnapping ordeal
© 2008 The Associated Press
Dec. 9, 2008, 2:56PM

DOUBLE OAK, Texas — A woman whose family owns Fletcher's Corny Dogs was rescued from kidnappers after a 12-hour ordeal and dramatic effort by multiple law enforcement agencies and her mother.

Amber Fletcher, 21, whose family introduced corn dogs to the Texas State Fair in the 1940s, was abducted early Monday by three men from her Denton County home in the town of Double Oak, authorities said.

She was found about 12 hours later after one of the men was stopped by officers while Fletcher's mother was meeting him to pay the $100,000 ransom, Texas Ranger Tracy Murphree told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for a story in its Tuesday online edition.

The man, later identified as Adolfo Chavez, 39, then led officers to Fletcher and two accomplices, Murphree said. Amber Fletcher was bound but otherwise unhurt, Murphree said Tuesday morning.

Amber's mother Glenda Fletcher answered the phone at the family's home Tuesday morning and said she couldn't talk after such a rough night.

"Everything is OK. Our daughter is safe," she told The Dallas Morning News for a story in Tuesday online editions.

Chavez, 39, of Dallas; Candelario Romero, 44, of Justin; and Porras Placido, 37, of Irving; were being held Tuesday at the Denton County Jail charged with aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony punishable by up to life in prison.

Bond was set at $200,000 for Chavez and at $250,000 each for Placido and Romero, according to jail records.

Chavez and Placido won't be released because they are suspected of being in the U.S. illegally and a hold was placed on them by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The ordeal began just before 11 a.m. Monday when Amber Fletcher called her mother, saying she needed $100,000 or the kidnappers would kill her, according to an affidavit.

Glenda Fletcher then called Double Oak police, who learned that Amber Fletcher lived next door to her parents and stayed with them Sunday night, but kidnappers were waiting at her home when she returned Monday morning.

Investigators believe Chavez, their former neighbor, knew their habits and regular activities, Murphree said.

The kidnappers directed the family to bring them the money and officers agreed to let the mother do it, Murphree said.

He added that sheriff's narcotics officers had the "drop" under surveillance, and that's when they nabbed Chavez near an intersection and he told them where to find Amber Fletcher.

Officers found the woman and two other suspects in a pickup parked at a store several miles from the Fletcher homes.

Murphree praised the mother, saying she was able to cooperate with officers although she was frightened for her daughter.

"Her efforts are responsible for getting her daughter back, and that's what we all hoped for," Murphree said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6155641.html