A missing girl whose kidnapping was captured on a smart doorbell camera manufactured by the company Ring has been found safe and returned to her parents.
According to local news outlets, Salem Sabatka, 8, was walking on the street in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday when a 51-year-old suspect drove up, grabbed her out of her mother’s arms and pulled her into a car. The Ring security video, which was attached to a nearby house and handed in to the police, showed the mother falling to the ground and calling for help as her daughter was grabbed.
“Help me, please!” Sabatka’s mother yells in the video. “My daughter just got kidnapped!”
After seeing the video, police posted it on several social media sites asking for neighbors’ help in tracking the car and the man. Two local men spotted the car at a nearby hotel, which allowed the police to rush in and save the girl. Michael Webb, 51, has been arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping.
Michael Webb – B/M 51 YOA
Current Charge – Aggravated Kidnapping – 1st Degree Felony #ThankYou Fort Worth and all our followers. #SalemSabatka pic.twitter.com/tcJY5PILuB— Fort Worth Police (@fortworthpd) May 19, 2019
In some cities, Ring partners with local police departments so that homeowners can preemptively share their footage with the police.
While some critics have called the surveillance camera intrusive, Fort Worth police said it was an important tool in helping them make the arrest.
Ring operated as an independent startup until it was acquired by Amazon over a year ago.
