LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA – Vigilant Solutions announces today that its license plate recognition (LPR) data was used in helping to locate and recover a missing child in an Amber Alert. The child was abducted by an illegal immigrant.
On August 14, 2012, a fifteen (15) year-old girl was abducted from her home by Edgar Daniel Mazariegos-Cifuentes, a forty (40) year-old illegal immigrant from Guatemala illegally residing in New York. Mazariegos was a close friend of the victim’s family, frequently visiting the girl’s home, and communicating with the girl for approximately one year prior to the abduction. Following an argument with her mother, the girl called Mazariegos because she was upset.
Mazariegos abducted the girl the following day, telling her that he was taking her to see her uncle in Boston. When the girl attempted to call her uncle, Mazariegos took her phone away and told her that he was taking her away to begin a new life together. Mazariegos then drove her to Maryland where he checked them into a hotel and forced her to have sex on multiple occasions over an eleven (11) day period.
Aided by license plate recognition data from Vigilant Solutions, a task force consisting of Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit officers and others located Mazariega and the victim in the apartment. Mazariegas later plead guilty to transporting a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Pierre Leroy, CEO of Vigilant, states, “Horrible cases like this underscore why law enforcement needs access to collected LPR data. We are very glad that we were able to play a part in bringing this case to closure, and we are both confident and hopeful that our data will bring many more suspects to justice and help many more victims find peace.”
About Vigilant Solutions:
Based in Livermore, California, Vigilant Solutions is an industry-leading pioneer of innovative intelligence solutions that help law enforcement protect officers, families and communities. For additional information, visit www.vigilantsolutions.com.