Matias Martinez
A statewide AMBER Alert was canceled after a missing 23-month-old girl in Chattanooga was found early Friday morning.
Authorities said Octavia Shaw is safe and her captor, 37-year-old Matias Martinez, is in custody. He was to be charged with especially aggravated kidnapping. He is considered an acquaintance with no parental or custodial rights to Octavia.
A resident spotted Martinez and Octavia with a bicycle at 6:50 a.m. at the intersection of Boy Scout Road and Moses Road - not far from where the child was taken on Thursday evening. Deputies immediately responded and upon arrival at 6:53 a.m., took Martinez into custody and located Shaw.
It is believed they stayed outside all night. The child was found covered in debris, dirt, leaves. She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for an assessment.
When captured, Martinez was found in possession of a bicycle. Anyone missing a bicycle in the area of Boy Scout Road is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office and file a report.
Officials said, "The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office wishes to thank the United States Marshall Service, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Rhea County Sheriff’s Office, Chattanooga Police Department, Hamilton County EMS, local news outlets and citizens for their assistance in locating the missing child, Octavia Afiya Shaw. The HCSO would also like to thank our local media for their efforts to help get the word out about this incident in order to help locate Octavia Shaw."
Martinez took Octavia after a traffic stop and was last seen on foot on Boy Scout Road.
There was an active warrant for kidnapping for Martinez after the incident.
The Sheriff's Office had said on Thursday, "Earlier this afternoon, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office deputies effected a traffic stop at the intersection of Dayton Pike and Boy Scout Road. The subject vehicle was driven by a female and contained her two year old infant granddaughter and a Latin American male.
"At the time of the stop, due to the heat, deputies asked the male subject to stand by near the roadway in the shade with the infant while they detained the female for questioning after finding out she had open, active warrants. During the course of the questioning, it became apparent to the deputies that the male individual had left the scene with the child. Deputies immediately began to search the area for the individual to no avail.
"The male party is described as a 37-year-old Latin American male identified as Matias Martinez. Martinez has a valid Massachusetts’s driver’s license, brown eyes, and is approximately 5’ 10” tall.The name of the female infant is Octavia Afiya Shaw and she is two years old. She was last seen wearing a light blue dress with black sweat pants. She weighs approximately 30 pounds and is 2 feet tall. She has a bi-racial complexion.
"Anyone with any information regarding Martinez, the child, or their whereabouts should immediately contact their local law enforcement agency. Local law enforcement are currently searching the area where Martinez was last seen with the child. HCSO detectives notified the TBI and an Amber Alert was issued."
Octavia Shaw