The Story of Amber Hagerman [ Part 01 ]

In January 13th, 1996, a Truck, with a Woman with 2kids visit a house in Highland Drive, in Arlington, Texas. The woman was a mother to her 2 kids, Amber, 9, and Ricky, 5 (Hagerman). They were paying a visit to their grandparents, Jimmie and Glenda Whitson. Jimmie and Glenda kept 2 bicycles at their house. Amber and Ricky asked if they can borrow the bicycles to take a quick ride. Their grandfather, Jimmie, and their mother said they can only peddle not far from their house. Amber and Ricky said 'OK' so they were already peddled on their bicycles, and they were peddle around two corners to the vacant parking lot of a closed down Winn-Dixie grocery store. Other neighborhood kids enjoyed riding on a ramp there. The ramp was in plain view of traffic on Abram Street, a highly trafficked laundromat and the yards of at least 5 neighbors.

Few minutes later, Ricky told his sister, Amber, 'I'm going back home because mama told us to just ride around the block'. Ricky went home while Amber stayed. Not far from where Amber was playing, Jim Kevil, a 78-year-old retiree stood in his backyard not far from the vacant lot. Jim said, 'I saw her riding up and down. She was by herself. I saw this pickup. He pulled up, jumped out and grabbed her. When she screamed, I figured the Police ought to know about it, so I called them'. Jim described the man as 'not big, but very fast'. He was White or Hispanic and drove dark, possibly black, full sized pickup.

Few minutes later, Ricky arrived at his grandparents house where Grandfather Jimmie asked him where Amber was. Ricky said Amber stayed for one more ride on the ramp. Ricky peddled back where Amber played. He left but return with no Amber with him. Ricky said, 'I can't find Sissy'. Grandfather Jimmie jumped onto his truck and speed to the parking lot. He spotted a police car there and pulled up to it. The Officer told him that a man who lived nearby heard screaming and saw a man carry a young girl into a pickup truck. The witness, Jim Kevil, called 911, and the officer raced to the scene but all he found was a bicycle. Jimmie's heart sank. He said to the Officer, 'That's my grand-daughter's bike'.