Portland, Ore. – The maternal grandmother of the two girls who survived a harrowing kidnapping in Canby spoke to KPTV on Wednesday, offering new details about the October 28 incident while keeping her identity private.
Night of the attack
Just before 2 a.m. on Oct. 28, a man identified by law enforcement as 36‑year‑old Vince Chavez entered a unit at the Orchards Apartments in Canby. According to the grandmother, Chavez struck a 12‑year‑old girl with a hammer several times before forcing the child’s 10‑year‑old stepsister into a van and fleeing the scene.
“The girls were asleep in the living room. Their mother was asleep in her bedroom,” the grandmother recalled. She said her daughter, the girls’ mother, awoke to a man’s voice and the sight of blood, discovering her youngest daughter unconscious on the floor.
How the perpetrator was known
The grandmother explained that the mother had met Chavez through a dating website, Cupid, several months earlier. She dated him for about two weeks before ending the relationship when she grew concerned about his motives toward her younger daughter.
“She’s just a mom that was on a regular website — Cupid — and she met him and his daughter,” the grandmother said. “He showed interest in the 10‑year‑old and she told him she didn’t want to see him anymore.”
Police response and rescue
When the mother realized something was wrong, she called 911. Police launched an extensive search that lasted roughly 13 hours. Investigators located the missing 10‑year‑old in Oregon City, where Chavez was renting a room. The child was found in a closet, duct‑taped inside a duffel bag.
Chavez was arrested and faces charges that include attempted murder, kidnapping and sexual assault. He is scheduled to appear in Clackamas County court on Thursday morning.
Family’s reaction and next steps
The grandmother expressed relief that the younger girl was found alive. “Oh my God,” she said. “Hearing that conversation was the best news we could get.”
She added that the 10‑year‑old is now staying with her father and that it will take time for both girls to feel safe again. “We want him to pay the price, and we don’t want any family to go through this ever again,” the grandmother said.
The case underscores the importance of vigilance in online dating and the need for swift law‑enforcement action when families are threatened. Local officials have not yet commented on the incident.
Original reporting: KPTV FOX 12 Portland (news) — read the source article.
