‘But what I do have are a very particular set of skills’
A twelfth man has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping of a teenage girl who was saved by her father who tracked her down to rescue her.
The incredible incident, which is unsurprisingly being likened to the ‘Taken’ films, saw a twelfth man arrested on Friday morning as per reports by the Mail.
Emmarae Gervasi, 14, went missing from her home in Patchogue, Long Island, on 9 December, when she was seen getting into a car on her block.
Upon her disappearance, Emmarae’s father, Frank, decided to take up the investigating himself, helping local police and community searches.
Frank took to social media to search for clues as well as driving around Long Island in search of her.
He also put up a $10,000 reward for anyone who could help.
Despite admitting receiving some unusual phone calls, eventually one helped to track down his daughter alive last month on a yacht.
The day of Emmarae’s rescue was like a scene out of the classic Liam Neeson thriller, ‘Taken’.
As per the Mail, Frank reportedly kicked down a door of the boat to locate his daughter.
His daughter asked “Dad, how did you find me? How did you know I was here?”
Frank described the moment as “pure elation… joy, happiness”.
Speaking to the Mail, Frank Gervasi feared for his daughter’s life and, when he received a tip, was told his daughter was with “very dangerous men.”
“The information I was given was very specific and very accurate.”
He added that there were rumours of the boat fleeing the state and moving south.
Fortunately he saved the day just in time.
Melissa Dervay, Emmarae’s mother, said a weight was ‘lifted’ when her daughter was finally found.
“The moment I heard her voice and knew she was OK, I felt a weight lifted off my body,” Dervay told Greater Long Island.
“I’ve been so tense for the past four weeks, quietly fighting a battle. Now, I’m elated. I feel light, and I just want to scream, ‘She’s OK. She’s been found.”
This latest arrest, reported by the New York Post, is now the twelfth in connection with the incident.
The owner of the Yacht, Francis Buckheit, has been charged with kidnapping among other charges.
Along with the arrest made on Friday, 10 other people have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping.
Buckheit pleaded not guilty, and his attorney Danielle Papa said in court that he was “emotional and upset” by his arrest, and “maintains his innocence.”
