February 27. 2007 11:41AM
Clay Moore's incredible tale of escape from an armed kidnapper
By BART PFANKUCH
bart.pfankuch@heraldtribune.com
BRADENTON -- On the day he was kidnapped, Clay Moore’s parents made the 13-year-old use a safety pin to mend his school uniform because he was to blame for tearing it.That safety pin became key to Clay’s escape from the kidnapper, who snatched him at gunpoint from a school bus stop last Friday and left him in an East Manatee woods taped up and gagged.Clay hid the safety pin in his mouth while the kidnapper walked him to a woods before tying him up, and the safety pin later became crucial to Clay’s eventual escape.Clay and his family appeared at a press conference in Bradenton this morning to thank everyone for their help during the crisis, to tell their son’s daring story of escape, and finally ask for privacy from the media so they can get back to normal lives.Clay's stepfather said that after the kidnapper left, he spit out a sock the kidnapper had stuffed in his mouth, and the pin dropped to the ground. Clay then used a stick to bring the pin to him and then cut the duct tape that bound his hands. Then, the now-sweating boy wriggled and chewed his way from the remaining duct tape.After escaping, he ran through a field, found a farmer with a cell phone, and called his stepfather. Steve Kelle said the first thing Clay said was, "I've been kidnapped."He was held for about 2.5 hours, Sheriff Charlie Wells said at the conference.Clay did not speak at the news conference, but he nodded and smiled a couple times as his family members shared their pride over his actions and described his intrepidness. He hopes to return to school soon, they said.Wells said police continue to search diligently, with help from the FBI and the border patrol, to seek 22-year-old suspect, Vicente Ignacio Beltran-Moreno. They found the suspect’s truck over the weekend, and later found a ransom note written in English at the home where he lived.Beltran-Moreno is a laborer from Mexico who is believed fled to Mexico or out West; he speaks only broken English, authorities said.
Clay Moore's incredible tale of escape from an armed kidnapper
By BART PFANKUCH
bart.pfankuch@heraldtribune.com
BRADENTON -- On the day he was kidnapped, Clay Moore’s parents made the 13-year-old use a safety pin to mend his school uniform because he was to blame for tearing it.That safety pin became key to Clay’s escape from the kidnapper, who snatched him at gunpoint from a school bus stop last Friday and left him in an East Manatee woods taped up and gagged.Clay hid the safety pin in his mouth while the kidnapper walked him to a woods before tying him up, and the safety pin later became crucial to Clay’s eventual escape.Clay and his family appeared at a press conference in Bradenton this morning to thank everyone for their help during the crisis, to tell their son’s daring story of escape, and finally ask for privacy from the media so they can get back to normal lives.Clay's stepfather said that after the kidnapper left, he spit out a sock the kidnapper had stuffed in his mouth, and the pin dropped to the ground. Clay then used a stick to bring the pin to him and then cut the duct tape that bound his hands. Then, the now-sweating boy wriggled and chewed his way from the remaining duct tape.After escaping, he ran through a field, found a farmer with a cell phone, and called his stepfather. Steve Kelle said the first thing Clay said was, "I've been kidnapped."He was held for about 2.5 hours, Sheriff Charlie Wells said at the conference.Clay did not speak at the news conference, but he nodded and smiled a couple times as his family members shared their pride over his actions and described his intrepidness. He hopes to return to school soon, they said.Wells said police continue to search diligently, with help from the FBI and the border patrol, to seek 22-year-old suspect, Vicente Ignacio Beltran-Moreno. They found the suspect’s truck over the weekend, and later found a ransom note written in English at the home where he lived.Beltran-Moreno is a laborer from Mexico who is believed fled to Mexico or out West; he speaks only broken English, authorities said.
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