A nation-wide manhunt for the father who allegedly kidnapped his daughter at gun point from Giant City School two weeks ago climaxed yesterday when FBI agents apprehended the suspect and found the 8-year-old girl alive.

States Attorney Mike Wepsiec said Washington officials placed Demetria, the abducted child who was not in the custody of her father, into protective custody and reported that no physical harm occurred to Demetria during the arrest.

Authorities said Demetria’s mother expressed elation and relief when she was told of the arrest.

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John D. Moro, 34, of Centrailia, was arrested outside in Ellensburg, Washington, Tuesday between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., which would be 12 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time.

The arrest occurred so fast, he had no options, Ron Bratcher, a Carbondale FBI special agent, said.

Wepsiec said authorities knew Moro had headed west, northwest or maybe towards Canada.

Authorities said it would have been extremely complicated to locate Moro if he had gone to Canada.

Wepsiec said Moro is charged with the aggravated kidnapping of his daughter Demetria, and his Jackson County bond is currently set at $100,000.

Wepsiec said he is interested in debriefing the Washington investigators to determine if additional charges may be brought against Moro.

Although many of the details about the arrest are unknown, Wepsiec said a handgun was retreived during the arrest.

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Wepsiec said early this morning a local Ellensburg, WA, police officer called in the license plate number on a car he thought to be suspicious while he was doing routine building checks.

Wepsiec said the Ellensburg officer ran Moro’s license plate number through the Law Enforcement Agency Data System.

Jackson County Sheriff William Kilquist said the Data system provides the name a car is registered under, the make of the vehicle and any warnings within seconds of punching in the plate number.

Bells and whistles no doubt went off when he ran the plate, Kilquist said.

Authorities said the car was registered under the name Jeffrey Locke, Moro’s alias, and was described as a1978 gray Pontiac Trans Am bearing the Nebraska license plate number 1HT643.

This car description matches the one which authorities said witnesses at Touch of Nature reported seeing at the time of the kidnapping.

Two weeks ago, Moro allegedly fled Giant City School with his daughter in a black Trans Am, drove to SIUC Touch of Nature and switched into a gray Trans Am.

Kilquist said they believed Moro had the kidnapping planned months in advance. He said Moro had bought the gray Trans Am in Omaha NB, touched it up and placed it in storage until he used it during the kidnapping.

Wepsiec said after the Ellensburg officer ran the plate check, he contacted the detectives within his police department.

He did an excellent job of not spooking the scene or situation, Kilquist said.

The Ellensburg detectives called the Jackson County Sheriffs Department, who contacted the Carbondale FBI office.

He said a strategy of capture was planned by both the Carbondale FBI and FBI agents in Yakima, WA.

It went off without a hitch, Kilquist said.

Wepsiec said the next step is to extradite Moro back to Jackson County.

(The extradition) could take anywhere from several hours to several months, depending on whether or not Mr. Moro fights extradition, Wepsiec said.