Deputies Call AMBER Abduction Well Planned

On Friday, July 22, a Fernley, Nevada woman came home from work around 3 pm and discovered her eight-year-old daughter missing. Lyon County Deputies responded and discovered the scene of a well-planned abduction. The accused abductor -- a convicted sex offender.

Deputies say 47-year-old  Fernando Ayala befriended Lydia Rupp's mother at a church function in the spring. The two dated and Ayala reportedly moved in with Lydia and her mother. What Lydia's mother apparently did not know is that Ayala is a convicted child sex offender. 

On Friday, Ayala dropped Lydia's mother off at work at 5:30 am, then called her around noon to tell her that he would not be able to pick her up. Authorities say that when she finally arrived back home around 3 pm, Lydia was gone -- so were most of her clothes, and the family dog, a cocker spaniel. But more disturbing, say deputies, Aguerro took all of Lydia's personal information including her birth certificate and social security card,  and nearly every photograph of her.

Cops Say Ayala Crossed Border With Missing Girl

Cops say that they have been interviewing Ayala's relatives and they have all been very cooperative.  According to deputies, they spoke with Ayala's sister on Sunday.  She confessed she had spoken with her brother just hours earlier. 

She says Ayala told her he does not want to harm the child and he is just looking for a nice Christian family to return her.  Police are concerned because, they say, by the time Lydia's mother reported her missing, Ayala had a 12-hour lead on them.

On Monday cops say they spoke with several of Ayala's relatives and they informed them that Ayala had infact returned to his native home in Tijuana, Mexico.  Cops say they also informed them that Lydia is with him.

Cops Say Ayala Has A Record

Ayala might be heading towards Las Vegas, or San Diego, or even his home country of Mexico. He has connections in all three places.

The sheriff's office says Ayala was convicted and sentenced for lewd and  lascivious acts with a child under 14 out of Whittier California in 1985. He uses several last names as aliases including,  Aguerro, Gonzales, Pons, or Vega.

Lydia is 4 feet 9 inches tall, weighs 85 pounds, and has brown hair, brown eyes and a fair complexion.

Ayala is described as a slim Hispanic male, about 47 years old, 6 feet 1 inch tall, 175 pounds with dark eyes and a mustache. He is thought to be driving a blue-gray, 2001 four-door Kia Rio sedan, without license plates.

Associated Persons:

Fernando Ayala
47-year-old Fernando Ayala
Fugitive
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Television Airings:

• »July 30, 2005

Missing Girl Recovered In Mexico