Kidnapped 2-year-old Homestead girl found safe, search for father continues, cops say
A 2-year-old girl who was abducted by her estranged biological father and missing since early Thursday morning was found safe later that night inside a car parked outside a Homestead residence, according to Homestead police.
But the toddler’s father, Diego Cedillo-Hernandez, 23, who police say violently abused the child’s pregnant mother, then raped her and threatened to kill her family before abducting their daughter and taking off in the woman’s car, remained free late Thursday night.
The sordid incidents that led to the abduction and the child’s recovery began Sunday, when, the 21-year-old woman told police, Cedillo-Hernandez inserted a knife into her vagina while she was pregnant. The woman said she miscarried after the attack. Then, according to the woman, Cedillo-Hernandez returned early Thursday morning and raped her.
When she awoke, she told police, the father of her child and her young daughter were gone. Police issued an Amber Alert later in the day for the missing child, Jesmine Cedillo-Ramirez. She was found at about 8 p.m. Thursday in the white Hyundai that her father used during her abduction.
The woman told police that Cedillo-Hernandez threatened to kill her family and the toddler if she refused to stay with him as his girlfriend. Police said the two have been involved in some type of relationship since 2016.
“We are investigating several allegations of possible sexual assault but at this point our primary concern is the safety and well-being of the child,” Homestead Sgt. Fernando Morales said, adding there was a “domestic situation” between the mother and the child’s father early Thursday morning.
He said Cedillo-Hernandez is facing a domestic battery charge in the incident that took place near North Krome Avenue and Northeast Ninth Street.
Earlier Thursday, Morales said authorities had “sufficient information to fear for the well-being of the child.”
They believe Cedillo-Hernandez took off in a 2006 white Hyundai Azera, with the tag number Z782JS. He was wearing a beige-and-green shirt and jeans.
Miami Herald staff writer Devoun Cetoute contributed to this report.
This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 4:16 PM.
