Man, woman accused of attempting to kidnap child on Far West Side

SAN ANTONIO – A man and a woman allegedly attempted to kidnap a child in a neighborhood in the Far West Side.

Christopher Schapira, 47, and Patricia Benitez, 58, tried to take a 3-year-old girl in a mobile home park near Loop 1604 near Shaenfield Road before noon on Saturday, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.

The girl and her 5-year-old sister were playing outside when Schapira and Benitez, who were walking their dog, approached them, officials said.

The 5-year-old alerted her mother while the pair allegedly led her sister away, holding her hand.

"If people are going to be this brazen and try to take a little girl right in broad daylight, imagine right now, where everyone's getting ready for Halloween, all the kids are going to be out in the neighborhoods, and we just need to be extra careful," Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said.

Schapira and Benitez were arrested after officials received tips from the neighborhood, Salazar said.

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About the Authors:

Japhanie Gray joined 10 News as an anchor in March 2022.