This story of heroic actions is once again circulating on social media.
At 1:30 am on a Monday, an AMBER Alert went out in southern Louisiana. It was about a missing 10-year-old girl from New Iberia, and it was believed that she was kidnapped and driven away in a 2012 silver Nissan Altima.
By 7 am, Dion Merrick and Brandon Antoine, sanitation workers for Pelican Waste, were on their daily trash route. They noticed a vehicle that fit the description in the alert.
They both thought it seemed suspicious that the car was parked alone in a field in St. Martin Parish.
“Something told me, like just look, I said what is that car doing in that field like that? What the car doing? Guess what, that’s the dude with the little girl,” Merrick said in a Facebook Live video. “That’s God.”
The video has been seen over 1.5 million times since it was posted.
They did not want the kidnapper to escape, so they parked the garbage truck on the wrong way on the highway so that he couldn’t get out. They dialed 911 and the police came and arrested Michael R. Serial.
The police were also able to safely recover the girl who appeared unharmed. She was later taken to the hospital to be evaluated by medical personnel.
The young girl’s family got in touch with the two men who saved her and expressed gratitude. “I’m just so happy and blessed that I have actually seen the car and we actually responded like we were supposed to respond,” Merrick told the media.
He also said that he hopes his actions will inspire others to be proactive as well. “Don’t be scared if you see something. If you know something is wrong, report it,” Merrick said. “Call authorities because it could save someone’s life.”
The two men were applauded by the St. John Parish’s Sheriff, who offered to buy them lunch.
“I was just doing my job man. I was just doing my job and actually came across somebody who needed help,” Merrick said. “Got me tearing up.”
In 17% of the cases, the child’s recovery is a direct result of the AMBER alert.
Watch:
