LAS CRUCES - Video surveillance footage and 911 calls of man who had been loitering in front of the convenience store overnight, suddenly attacks a mother with three children — seemingly without provocation — before punching several employees and patrons who tried to intervene. The man's rampage continues until a 16-year-old high school wrestling champ comes into the store and pins the suspect, holding him down until authorities arrive.
Daniel Beltran Arroyo, 21, of Phoenix, is eventually arrested and charged with one count of kidnapping, four counts of battery, two counts of assault and two counts of child abuse. He's being held without bond at the Doña Ana County Detention Center.
'Call the police'
Lorraine Provencio has been employed at Chucky's Gas Station for two years and was working Wednesday morning.
In an interview with the Sun-News, she said the incident was one of the most intense moments of her life.
About 9 a.m., Provencio and a coworker were standing outside the store when a mother with three children — a 9-year-old, a 2-year-old and a 1-year-old — called to them for help.
Chucky's Gas Station in Dona Ana County, was the scene of an attempted kidnapping and assault, Wednesday March 25, 2020, until a high school wrestling star rushed from across the street, and pinned the attacker to the ground until sheriff's deputies arrived and arrested him.Buy Photo
Chucky's Gas Station in Dona Ana County, was the scene of an attempted kidnapping and assault, Wednesday March 25, 2020, until a high school wrestling star rushed from across the street, and pinned the attacker to the ground until sheriff's deputies arrived and arrested him.
The woman had just gotten off a Greyhound bus, which stops daily at Chucky's, and was waiting for an Uber.
Provencio said Arroyo — whom she recognized as having arrived on the Greyhound bus the previous day — was standing near the woman. She said she told Arroyo he needed to leave because the store doesn't allow loitering.
"And he said, 'I don't have to go, call the police,'" Provencio said.
So she pulled out her phone and dialed 911.
"I'm calling you from the Greyhound station in Doña Ana. I have a gentleman here that refuses to leave, I've got a lady here, she's got kids and this man is all up in her sh--. I've asked him to step away, and he refuses. I told him we don't allow loitering, and he says, 'call the police,'" Provencio tells the 911 operator.
'That's when everything went crazy'
After hanging up with 911, Provencio said she told Arroyo to get away from the mother. Then, Provencio said, Arroyo yelled to mother, "give me your f------ kids," and reached for her 2-year-old daughter.
"That's when everything went crazy. I'm yelling, 'no, you're not taking her kids,'" Provencio said.
More:Chaparral man found guilty of kidnapping, child rape
Arroyo is seen on surveillance camera pushing the mother down. She falls on her back, on top of her 1-year-old, who is in a carrier. The 2-year-old also falls.
"She hit the floor and when she hit the floor, I yelled, 'can I get a man to f------ help, can I get a man," Provencio said.
The mother stands up and again Arroyo tries to grab the 2-year-old from her. As the mother tries get away, Provencio and another woman — a regular customer wearing an orange shirt — stand in his way. Arroyo is seen punching the woman in the orange shirt.
But the mother — carrying the 1-year-old on her back and the 2-year-old in her arms — and her nine-year-old running alongside are able to escape and run inside the store where they hide in a storeroom.
Arroyo is seen running after the mother, but Provencio and anther woman who was outside try to block him from entering the store. A male customer, Julio Manuel Munguia, wearing a red baseball cap, who was inside, also stands at the doorway. Arroyo is seen punching them both.
Video footage shows Arroyo backing away. Provencio is able to enter the store and Munguia tries to hold the door shut from the inside. Arroyo pulls on the door from the outside and eventually he's able to get inside. Arroyo punches Munguia multiple times. Blood splatters on the store floor.
Provencio again calls 911.
Munguia gets away from Arroyo and heads outside. Arroyo is seen turning his back to the door and heads off camera. Witnesses would later tell authorities he continued to yell for the mother and her children.
Mayfield High School wrestling champion Canaan Bower, 16, witnessed a man allegedly attempting to kidnap three children at Chucky's in Doña Ana, Wednesday March 24, 2020. Canaan wrestled the alleged kidnapper to the ground and held him there until sheriff's deputies arrived. read the rest here: https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/2020/03/27/surveillance-videos-911-calls-outline-terrifying-incident-chuckys/2927622001/
