Hero’s Welcome For Pueblo Kidnapping Victim

A 9-year-old girl who was abducted and escaped got a special welcome home Saturday. The Pueblo community welcomed the girl home after she went missing for 18 hours.

“Everybody in Pueblo just wanted to know that she was OK,” said Michele Valdez, with the Chicano Riders. “It became everybody’s child.”

The Chicano Riders said the girl requested for them to come out on their bikes. They escorted her family’s car home after she had a day of pampering at Salon In The City.

“We figured we would just help out and do her hair and make her feel beautiful,” said Elsa Leon, a stylist at the salon.

The Chicano Riders brought gifts for the girl, and others in the community donated presents too.

“She’s doing wonderful, she’s happy to be home,” said her dad, Steven Ryno.

Ryno and the girl’s mother said they were so grateful for the community’s support.

“I want my princess to be special today,” said Ryno. “Thank you, Pueblo, thank you everybody that’s out here showing my baby love, because she wants it.”

Her mom and dad call her their hero.

“There’s no way in a million years I could be as brave as her,” said her mom, Stephanie Cordova. “She’s my hero and always will be.”

The parents said they had nothing to say about the man arrested, Jose Garcia.

“He’s not worth our words to even talk about,” said Ryno. “All I know is, I’ll leave that in God’s hands.”

Jail records show that Garcia is facing charges of second-degree kidnapping and sex assault by a person in a position of trust. Police said Saturday that Garcia would likely be facing new charges stemming from sexually assaulting another little girl in the neighborhood. Neighbors said that assault happened Thursday, the same day as the abduction.