Federal Prosecutors Charge Oregon City Man With Kidnapping Canby Girl
Vince Edgar Chavez faces a federal complaint after a 10-year-old was hidden in an Oregon City home for 13 hours during a break-in.
By Lauren Bello ·
A 10-year-old girl was taken from her Canby apartment in the early hours of Oct. 28, and federal authorities have now charged the man accused of holding her. U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon officials announced the federal criminal complaint against Vince Edgar Chavez, 36, on Tuesday.
Chavez is already facing state charges in Clackamas County, including attempted murder, assault, and first-degree kidnapping. The break-in occurred at the Orchards Apartments on Southeast Township Road. At that time, the girl’s 12-year-old sister was struck repeatedly with a hammer and knocked unconscious before she was transported to a hospital.
Investigators declared the girl missing around 1:39 a.m. Local police, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI Portland Field Office launched a joint search. Because the child was in immediate danger, officials secured emergency cellphone records. The FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team analyzed the data while Oregon City police conducted a street search.
The search led officers to a house near Pleasant Avenue and Sommer Street in Oregon City. They located a white van associated with Chavez. At 1:46 p.m., FBI agents observed Chavez walk to the van and return inside the residence. Officers forced entry and found the child hidden in a bedroom. They arrested Chavez as he attempted to escape out the back.
Paramedics transported the 10-year-old to a hospital for evaluation. Other residents of the Oregon City house told investigators they were unaware the child was inside. A federal affidavit states that Chavez drove the girl across local boundaries using public roads and a cellphone. This action established federal jurisdiction under the kidnapping statute.
U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford said the rapid recovery of the child was the result of extraordinary teamwork and relentless determination by law enforcement. He noted that when a child is taken, the office acts immediately and does not stop until the child is safe and the offender is in custody. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Rochat is prosecuting the federal case.
Chavez remains held without bail at the Clackamas County Jail.
