Texas man facing aggravated kidnapping charges after Amber Alert for Utah girl

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Frank David Lopez, 20, faces aggravated kidnapping charges for allegedly taking a Utah girl from her home in Magna, Utah.

Lopez is in police custody in San Antonio according to Bexar County’s court records. He had a defense attorney appointed Wednesday, had a no-contact order put in place and was booked on suspicion of first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping.

He is scheduled to appear in court on April 26.

Unified Police Department issued an Amber Alert for a 14-year-old Magna, Utah girl after, police said, they discovered she was coerced into leaving her home with Lopez.The two met on social media a few months ago, according to police.

In the Amber Alert police said the teen’s life was in danger and said the pair could be headed to either Texas or Mexico. Police said the pair were in a black Nissan Altima.

Initial information indicated the girl was a runaway but that was revised on Tuesday when police said her life was in danger. A specific set of criteria must be met to issue an Amber Alert.

That includes, according to the Department of Justice:

• There is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred.
• The law enforcement agency believes that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.
• There is enough descriptive information about the victim and the abduction for law enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert to assist in the recovery of the child.
• The abduction is of a child aged 17 years or younger.
• The child’s name and other critical data elements, including the Child Abduction flag, have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system.