No kidnap charges filed

Tudor released

Staff Report

DELTA — A man suspected of abducting a young girl from her yard is free, after the District Attorney's office declined to file charges.

Rhys Owen Tudor was arrested May 22 in connection with the alleged incident, said to have occurred the previous day.

The girl, 11, told police she was playing in her yard when a man wearing a ski mask jumped from a car and grabbed her. Another man, whom police said was Tudor, was driving the car, but the girl escaped and was able to obtain help.

The district attorney's office declined to file charges, however, and Tudor was released.

"A determination has been made that at this time, a reasonable probability of success on the merits, based on the admissible evidence at trial...does not exist," DA Myrl Serra said in a press release.

The decision does not preclude charges in the future, he said, but declined further comment because the case was still under investigation.

The Delta Police are still pursuing leads, including the suspect car, described as a dirty white Ford Focus or similar vehicle.

"It was the DA's decision and they have legal requirements to meet," said Bill Sowell, public information officer with the Delta Police Department. "It is still an ongoing and active investigation. On our end, nothing has changed. We're pursuing it."