Movers Spotted Child From Amber Alert, Took Quick Action

The men in the moving truck were supposed to be hauling boxes—not blocking a suspected kidnapper’s escape route. But around 7 a.m. on Feb. 22 in Phoenix, Camelback Moving foreman Kevin Place overheard a convenience store security guard on the phone with police about a 3-year-old girl whose face he recognized from an Amber Alert, according to the Washington Post.

The guard believed he had just seen the child, who had disappeared from her home two days earlier, and the woman suspected of taking her. He watched as the pair entered the store and headed toward the restroom.

After comparing the guard’s photo with the Amber Alert, Place ran to his truck and told his co-workers what he had seen. The group quickly wrote down the license plate number of a car waiting outside the store, where a man sat in the driver’s seat. The movers then used their roughly 30-foot truck to block the vehicle and prevent it from leaving until police arrived minutes later.

Officers took 23-year-old Marina Noriega into custody and safely recovered the toddler, Kehlani Rogers, who was later reunited with her parents in good health, according to police.

Authorities say Noriega, described as a “recent acquaintance” of the family, faces a felony custodial interference charge and is being held on a $250,000 bond, according to 12News. Investigators had already identified her as a suspect after she and Kehlani were reportedly seen together in Maricopa the day before the child was found, People reported.

Kehlani’s parents told 12News that Noriega was a “random woman” they had allowed to stay in their home because she said she needed a place to stay. Court records show Noriega later told authorities she had “made a mistake” and denied intending to sell or harm the child.

The security guard and the eight movers have since received Good Samaritan awards and recognition from the city of Avondale, where Kehlani’s family lives. Many of the men are fathers and said they acted on instinct, hoping the incident reminds people that Amber Alerts are important.

“Without it, we would have never known who that little girl was,” Place said.

The president of the moving company praised the workers in a statement, saying, “We are incredibly proud of our community heroes. This is a powerful reminder that the Amber Alert system works.”