Houston man found guilty of kidnapping 3-year-old girl in 2022

Man found guilty of kidnapping 3-year-old Houston girl

A man has been found guilty of kidnapping a 3-year-old girl in Houston, prompting an Amber Alert in 2022.

HOUSTON - A man has been found guilty of kidnapping a 3-year-old girl in Houston, prompting an Amber Alert in 2022.

Holman Hernandez found guilty

What we know:

A jury found Holman Hernandez, 53, guilty of aggravated kidnapping on Friday.

Hernandez pleaded "not guilty" on Tuesday before opening statements began. Prosecutors and the defense presented their closing arguments on Friday morning.

It took the jury less than an hour to deliberate before returning the guilty verdict.

Holman Hernandez (2022) (Photo: Houston Police Department)

What we don't know:

Hernandez has not yet been sentenced.

What's next:

A sentencing hearing will be held Monday at 11 a.m.

2022 Houston kidnapping case

The backstory:

An Amber Alert was issued on August 21, 2022, for a 3-year-old girl who was reported missing from her parents’ apartment in the 12800 block of Northborough Drive near Greenspoint.

According to police, her parents reported that they went to bed around 11 p.m. Saturday and then woke up early Sunday morning to find the door open and the girl gone. They reportedly searched the apartment complex and then called police when they didn’t find her.

Officers responded to the complex and began to search the area. Police say they spoke with a resident who told them that they had seen the girl and the suspect together. Police began to develop the identity of the suspect.

An Amber Alert was issued for the girl as police continued to canvas the area.

Around 2 p.m., police say officers found the suspect’s vehicle about a block away from a motel in the 400 block of Rankin Road.

Officers spoke with motel management, who told them the suspect had rented a room around 7:30 a.m., officials say.

Officers went to the motel room and knocked on the door. Police say the suspect didn’t answer, so they forced entry due to the child’s age.

They found the girl in the room with the suspect, police say. 

Hernandez was arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping.

The girl was taken to the hospital for medical evaluation and reunited with her family.