Texas Police Use License Plate Readers to Safely Rescue Stolen Vehicle Child
Crowley and Fort Worth officers track a stolen car with a 6-year-old inside using Flock Safety camera technology.
- By Jesse Jacobs
- Oct 13, 2026
Authorities safely recovered a 6-year-old child and arrested a suspect following a vehicle theft Monday morning at a local gas station. The incident began around 9:41 a.m. at the Walmart Fuel Center on East FM 1187, where a vehicle containing the young child was stolen.
Officers with the Crowley Police Department immediately deployed the Flock Safety camera system to monitor the stolen vehicle's movement as it headed north toward Fort Worth. Working alongside the Fort Worth Police Department, officers tracked the vehicle to the 1200 block of West Spurgeon Street, where the child was located uninjured and returned to family members.
The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. Law enforcement agencies—including Fort Worth police, an Air One helicopter unit, a Tarrant County Sheriff's Office K-9 team and crime scene investigators—coordinated a search of the surrounding area.
Officers located the suspect near La Gran Plaza shopping center in Fort Worth and took him into custody without further incident.
Police identified the suspect as Manuel Hernandez, 23, of Haltom City. Hernandez faces charges of kidnapping, theft between $2,500 and $30,000, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram. He remains held at the Crowley Police Department.
Department officials confirmed the incident was isolated and poses no ongoing public threat.