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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Second suspect in Vancouver child abduction case appears in court

Francisco Javier Hernandez-Reyes, 18, makes a first appearance Tuesday morning in Clark County Superior Court in connection with the abduction of a 4-year-old girl. (Alisha Jucevic / Columbian)
By Jerzy Shedlock Columbian

The second of three teenagers allegedly involved in a robbery and kidnapping, tied to the abduction of a 4-year-old girl, appeared Tuesday morning in Clark County Superior Court.

Francisco Javier Hernandez-Reyes, 18, was arrested Monday on suspicion of two counts of first-degree kidnapping and one count of first-degree robbery. A 15-year-old boy, whose name was not released, was also arrested on the same allegations and expected to appear this morning in juvenile court.

Erick Garcia-Valdovinos, 18, appeared Monday in Superior Court to face the same allegations.

Vancouver police say that the teenagers took part in a man’s abduction – the victim was tied to a chair and his car was stolen – and the abduction of 4-year-old Aranza Ochoa-Lopez.

The girl, who had been in foster care since 2017 when she was removed from her home, was reportedly taken by her mother Esmeralda Lopez-Lopez on Thursday morning during a supervised visit at Vancouver Mall.

Judge Suzan Clark Hernandez-Reyes’ bail at $200,000, the same amount imposed against Garcia-Valdovinos.

Defense attorney Jason Bailes unsuccessfully argued for a lower bail. He said Hernandez-Reyes, who has lived in the area for a couple of years, lacks criminal history and is employed.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, a passerby located Jose Orellana-Gomez bound in duct tape in the Bagley Downs neighborhood sometime on Thursday.

Orellana-Gomez told police that an acquaintance, Lopez-Lopez, invited him to her apartment because she needed help with a ride to Centralia. He spent about 20 minutes in the apartment with Lopez-Lopez before three men in masks carrying knives showed up, according to the affidavit.

The assailants told Orellana-Gomez that they were taking his car and demanded his credit card and PIN. Orellana-Gomez was tied up for about 12 hours before he managed to free himself and find help, according to the affidavit.

While officers were searching the apartment, a Child Protective Services worker told them that Lopez-Lopez had fled with her child during a supervised visit that same day. Detectives investigated further and found Lopez-Lopez was likely on her way to Mexico with her daughter, according to police.

On Saturday, investigators confirmed Lopez-Lopez, her daughter, and a teenage girl seen with Lopez-Lopez at the mall were spotted driving Orellana-Gomez’s red Chevrolet Cobalt, with Washington license plate BLK1552.

California Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert once the vehicle Lopez-Lopez was driving was identified. The alert has since been canceled.

Vancouver police spokeswoman Kim Kapp said in an email that authorities believe Lopez-Lopez has crossed the border into Mexico with her daughter. However, police are in contact with the woman’s family and are working to determine her exact location, Kapp said.