Springfield Child Abduction: What We Know

An 11-year-old Springfield girl is safe and the man who abducted her is facing charges following an hours-long hunt for the child Wednesday evening. Police had help from the community tracking down the young girl and her abductor, finding her safely just hours after an Amber Alert was sent throughout the state.

Here's what we know so far:

What Happened

State Police said the girl was forced into a car around 1:26 p.m. Wednesday, shortly after getting off a school bus. Witnesses said a man came up from behind her and forced her into a car.

How She Was Found

An Amber Alert was issued around 5:22 p.m. Police released a photo of a blue Honda thought to be involved in the abduction.

Police received several 911 calls from drivers who said they saw a Honda matching that description. Troopers in a work zone pulled the car over on the Mass Pike eastbound in the Auburn/Sturbridge area.

One of the callers, Amanda Disley, live-streamed the ordeal from her car as the police chased the car with the help of her tip. With her husband driving and her family in the back, she recounted a high-speed chase through parking lots and red lights as they chased the Honda. Disley said she saw movement in the back seat of the Honda before it started driving erratically

Around 7:41 p.m., police said the girl had been found, after they pulled the car over on the Mass Pike eastbound in the Auburn/Sturbridge area.

According to WCVB, the man was taken from the car at gunpoint after troopers spotted a knife in the pocket of the driver's side door.

Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Calpprood told WWLP in Springfield: "We used a private surveillance camera sent to us. We were able to hook right into it, and you can now email the Crime Analysis Center, and we had it up on the big screens in there. We were able to get it out to the officers right away through the MBT, and we were able to get it to the news media very quickly."

The Girl's Status

The child was "recovered safely" and with "no apparent injuries," police said. She was taken to a hospital for precautionary evaluations. Springfield police asked the media to respect the family's privacy and said they would release a statement on the family's behalf when they are ready.

Who Is The Suspect?

Police arrested Miguel Rodriguez, 24, of Springfield. He was brought to State Police barracks in Charlton for booking and kept overnight in Springfield police custody.

There were witness reports that a woman was also in the car with Rodriguez, but police found no one else in the vehicle. Police confirmed that Rodriguez is the only suspect facing charges and authorities aren't looking for anyone else.

Rodriguez was charged with kidnapping, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and witness intimidation. He was in court Thursday morning and will be held for a dangerousness hearing. A judge ordered a mental evaluation, despite the defense objecting.

The judge brought up concerns about his mental health, citing a previous restraining order. Rodriguez's family told Masslive that he suffers from schizophrenia and refused to take his medication. His sister filed a restraining order against Rodriguez three years ago — the family told the outlet they knew one day he would find himself in trouble but not like this, the apologized to Moccia and her family. "We want to say sorry to her and her family for what they went through in those hours," the family told Masslive.

Springfield police warned residents not to donate to GoFundMe accounts claiming to be in the girl's name or in Amanda Disley's name. "Neither family has a fundraising campaign and these are likely scams," the department tweeted.