Fort Worth police arrested 51-year-old Michael Webb early Sunday morning in connection to the kidnapping of 8-year-old girl, taken from her mother as they walked through a Fort Worth neighborhood Saturday night.
Police said Webb faces a felony charge of aggravated kidnapping.
According to police, the girl was walking with her mother along the 2900 block of 6th Avenue, in Fort Worth's Ryan Place neighborhood, when Webb allegedly snatched the girl and put her in his car at about 6:38 p.m. The mother jumped into the car to try to fight Webb, but she was pushed out as he drove away with the girl, police said.
Police later found the girl -- and Webb -- thanks to a tip from the public.
Records indicate Webb lived much of his life in Tyler, and according to the Smith County District Attorney's Office, he was charged with aggravated and sexual assault in April 2018. The case was dismissed in December after the victim refused to cooperate and left the state of Texas, according to Assistant Smith County District Attorney Richard Vance.
“With what we were facing at that time we felt like, I felt like, we had to dismiss the case," Vance said.
Vance said the victim of the April 2018 offense knew Webb before the alleged incident and suffered minor injuries. The district attorney's office said they still hoped to prosecute the case if the victim returned and decided to cooperate.
“This one hit home, I believe I did what I had to do at the time but as a person and a dad, yeah it hits home with you,” Vance said, in reference to Webb's arrest for kidnapping.
In a series of offenses dating to the early 1990s, Webb has also been charged with evading arrest, making a terroristic threat, burglary, theft and driving with a suspended license, among others.
