Within four hours of releasing surveillance photos of Terry Miles, the man accused of abducting two Round Rock girls, authorities in Colorado had him in handcuffs thanks in part to an alert citizen.
The Round Rock Police Department said on Wednesday evening, the Las Animas County Sheriff’s Office received a tip reporting Miles was in an area near Cuchara, which is approximately 60 miles northwest of Trinidad, the town which Miles was spotted in on Dec. 30.
According to The Pueblo Chieftain newspaper, the person who called police at the right time was Cynamin VanLue. In a Facebook post late Wednesday night, Cynamin VanLue’s husband, Jim VanLue, said his wife and their son Evan were driving along Colorado 12 early Wednesday evening when she told him “something didn’t seem right about the car” ahead of them. The family said the car “was out of place and driving odd.”
When the family returned to the Cuchara home, they turned on the news and determined it was the same Hyundai authorities had been searching for. “The FBI and authorities are up here and have the man in custody,” wrote the VanLues. The post also urged people to “Always, follow your instincts!!”
Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks said when the deputy pulled behind Miles’ car, he began driving erratically, leading the deputy to call for backup and initiate a “high-risk traffic stop.” Miles was taken into custody without incident and the girls, 7-year-old Lulu Bandera-Margret and 14-year-old Lili Griffith, were found in the car unharmed.
The Pueblo Chieftain reports Miles was found about a half-mile south of the entrance to Cuchara Mountain Resort.
Miles is currently in federal custody as local authorities work on bringing him back to Texas. The girls are expected to return to Texas soon.
Miles has not been officially charged with anything related to the abduction or death of the girls’ mother, Tonya Bates.
(Story from KXAN.com)
