He Jots Down License Numbers--Two Kidnaped Girls Are Rescued

A former deliveryman with a penchant for taking down license numbers emerged Tuesday as the hero in the rescue of two kidnaped girls, one of them Candi Talarico, a 4-year-old whose kidnaping six weeks ago touched off a nationwide search.

Police said the license number taken by Jack Manzer--who saw a man struggling with a screaming child--led to the arrest of Kenneth Alvin Michel, 32, a church custodian who is accused of keeping Candi captive for six weeks in a sealed-off portion of crawl-space below the altar of the Elk Grove Methodist Church.

The bearded Michel, who cannot speak or hear, is being held in Sacramento County Jail on three counts of kidnaping. In addition to the Talarico child, police say they believe that Michel on Monday attempted to kidnap a second youngster and did abduct a third, who was later found in his automobile. Police said they are interviewing Michel with the help of a sign language interpreter.

Candi, whose abduction on June 4 touched off the most intense police manhunt here in recent years, was carried away kicking and screaming from an alley near her downtown Sacramento apartment where she had been playing with friends. Within days of her abduction, 20,000 flyers were distributed nationwide. Her case was featured on the nationally syndicated television show “America’s Most Wanted.”

Girl Held in Trunk

Michel is also accused of abducting Meuy Han Saefong, 5, who was held for four hours in the oven-like trunk of Michel’s car. Temperatures in Sacramento reached 112 degrees Monday. The youngster was unconscious when police found her in a cardboard box in the tire well of Michel’s car trunk, her hands and feet bound with duct tape.

The third kidnaping count relates to the attempted abduction of 6-year-old Daisy Jones in Elk Grove earlier in the day.

Manzer, 43, the former deliveryman who is now a supervisor with a steel company, said he saw the near-abduction of Daisy, watching with great alarm as a man carried the girl across the street under his arms. At the time, Manzer told reporters, he did not know whether the child was being kidnaped or disciplined in some way by her father.

Walking to School

Daisy had been walking to summer school with her 9-year-old sister, Hannah, when she was grabbed by a bearded stranger about 8 a.m., police said. She was carried, screaming, to a blue Ford Escort, later identified by police as Michel’s car. With her sister screaming and yelling loud enough to distract the suspect, Daisy scooted across the seat of the car and escaped.

A suspicious Manzer followed Michel’s car in his pickup truck. Manzer jotted down the license number of Michel’s car, but then went on to work, still not sure whether he had seen a crime being committed. Nevertheless, he called police and gave them the license number.

Manzer, described as a hero by Sacramento County Sheriff Glen Craig, told reporters at a news conference that he developed the habit of writing down license numbers when he worked for United Parcel Service. “I always fantasized about catching somebody doing something wrong but I never thought it would ever happen to me,” he told reporters.

Police said Manzer is in line to collect at least $12,000 in reward money that was put up for information about Candi’s abduction.

Hours after the kidnaping attempt in Elk Grove, about 1:45 p.m., Meuy Han Saefong was abducted near her apartment in downtown Sacramento, not far from where Candi was kidnaped. She had been filling a balloon with water in front of her apartment building. When a witness to that kidnaping reported a partial license number bearing three of the same digits as the number given to them by Manzer, police said they knew immediately that they had a prime suspect.

Dozens of Sacramento police, FBI agents and sheriff’s deputies converged on Michel’s apartment in Elk Grove, a small residential community about 12 miles south of Sacramento. When they did not find Michel at home, police staked out the church where he worked. When Michel arrived at the church, driving the blue Ford, he surrendered without incident and cooperated with officers. Unable to speak, he wrote a note to police saying that Meuy was locked in the trunk. He also led them to Candi, imprisoned below the floor of the church. She was described as being dirty, tired and frightened, but alert.

In Good Condition

The two girls were examined by doctors at University Medical Center here. Doctors said both were in good condition, considering their ordeal. They were released to their families Monday night. Police would not disclose whether there was evidence that they had been sexually abused.

Candi and her mother returned to their small apartment in downtown Sacramento on Tuesday morning. Neighbors festooned the apartment with balloons and “Welcome Home” signs.

Candi’s mother, Diane Van Gilder, said she never gave up hope that her daughter would be returned to her. “I told you she’d be home and she’s home,” Van Gilder said in brief comments to reporters.

Among the unanswered questions stemming from Candi’s abduction is why no one at the church heard or saw the youngster. Police said she was imprisoned the entire six weeks in the dungeon-like crawlway, sealed off by plywood and bricks. Her living space was described as being 5 feet wide, 5 feet long and 2 feet high. Scattered about the dirt floor were stuffed animals, books, blankets and a television set.

Length of Stay

“It appears that she was probably in there since the first day,” Sacramento Police Sgt. Bob Burns said. “Apparently nobody heard her down there.”

Burns said it appears that Michel acted alone.

“Right now, we have uncovered nothing to indicate that he had an accomplice,” he said.

Police said they will not interview either Candi or Meuy until they get an OK from a psychiatrist.

“We talked to them very briefly yesterday (Monday), but we are going to be very cautious in our interview with them because of the trauma that they’ve been through,” Burns said.

Burns disclosed that Michel had been receiving psychiatric counseling and broke an 11 a.m. appointment Monday with his counselor.

Michel worked until March at a day care center connected with the Elk Grove church.

Church pastor Dr. Linda Inlow said Michel was suspended from his day care center duties for “personal problems.” He continued to work as a custodian. The suspension “was taken as a preventive action, not a disciplinary action. Kenny had some personal problems,” Inlow said.