At a 4:45 p.m. press conference on Tuesday, authorities said a Jackson County arrest warrant was issued for John D. Moro, 34, of Centrailia, in connection with the alleged abduction of his daughter Demetria. Associate Judge Dan Kimmel set Moro’s bond at $100,000.

Police said Moro should be considered armed and extremely dangerous.

Authorities alleged that Moro was armed with an automatic or semi-automatic weapon when he forcibly abducted his daughter at approximately 2:30 p.m. Aug. 28.

Advertisement

Moro has been described as a white male, 6 feet 2 inches tall, 200 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing glasses and had a beard and mustache.

Demetria is approximately 4 feet tall with shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes. At the time of the alleged kidnapping she was wearing a red top with ties in the front, cut-off shorts, red socks and white tennis shoes with blue and purple trim.

The car Moro was last seen driving was a 1979 Gray or Silver Pontiac Trans Am with Nebraska license plates 1HP634.

Jackson County Sheriff William Kilquist said, at the press confrence Tuesday, he had been informed that Demetria was kicking and screaming when her father allegedly took her from her classroom.

Our first priority is the safety of the child, Kilquist said.

Authorities said witnesses at the school allededly saw Moro drive off in a black Pontiac Trans Am.

Authorities said witnesses at the SIUC Touch of Nature reported seeing a black Trans Am enter a parking lot at the Touch of Nature facilities. They then reported seeing a male matching Moro’s description pull a young girl into a gray or silver Pontiac Trans Am.

Advertisement*

Kilquist said investigators searched the areas around Touch of Nature and Crab Orchard Lake Monday night, and are continuing to follow numerous leads.

Kilquist said investigators have received calls from the North, South, East, and West from people who honestly believe to have seen Moro.

It (the investigation) has taken an awful lot of time, Kilquist said.

At the time of the press conference Kilquist said Moro had been gone for 26 hours and could have been 1000 miles away.

At the same press conference, States Attorney Mike Wepsiec said he has prepared preliminary charges against Moro for the class 1 felony of aggravated kidnapping.

Wepsiec said, Moro has not previously been convicted of any crimes. He also said there was no evidence as of yet to indicate that Moro allegedly did not act alone.

Wepsiec said armed violence and unlawful use of a weapon are possible charges that may be brought against Moro in the future.

The authorities have asked anyone who sees a suspect matching Moro’s description, his daughter or Moro’s car to call their local police agency immediately and provide detailed information about their sighting.

Giant City Superintendent Chris Rigdon said every classroom at Giant City School had a counselor present on Tuesday morning to help students deal with the kidnapping of Demetria.

Rigdon said most of the classrooms were back on their regular daily schedules by 10 a.m.

He said Emma Jean Durr’s (Demetria’s teacher) classroom had four counselors appointed to it, and by 11 a.m. the counselors thought it was safe for Demetria’s classmates to return to their regular schedule.