CARROLLTON, Texas — Eli Neri said he knew something wasn't right when he saw a man and his daughter check-in at the La Quinta hotel in Red Oak.
"It kind of made me suspicious,” said Neri.
He didn't know it at the time, but Carrollton police were looking for Ronald Singer and 10-year-old Rosemary.
"He was saying this is my world. This is my daughter. I love her. She's all I got,” said Neri.
Police said the girl's mother, Maria Ramos, was found dead by her roommate in their apartment.
They couldn't find Rosemary. Police said Singer picked her up from a friend’s home, where she was spending the night. That prompted them to issue an Amber Alert.
Meanwhile, Neri had just gotten home from his shift and saw the alert on Facebook.
"I saw his picture and I saw the little girl and I read the name, and that's when it clicked and I knew I had to get back to the hotel and call police,” said Neri.
He called Marissa Villareal, who had just taken over for him at the hotel.
"I called 911 and I searched him through Google and the Amber Alert, and it popped up,” said Villareal.
Police asked her to check on the hotel guests who were near Singer’s room on the third floor.
Police got Singer to come out of his room, telling him it was check out time.
“They were able to get to the door and he came out and put his hands up and they got him on the ground and arrested him,” said Villareal.
Both both hotel clerks said they were thankful they were able to help.
"I'm really happy that she is OK. Still sad to know her mother is gone,” said Villareal.
Neri said he is glad he listened to his instincts. He's studying to be a police officer.
"My little detective mode kicked in, and I said time to go save a life,” said Neri.
Police don't know what the motive is and said Singer does not have a violent past. There was no history of domestic violence.
Singer has been charged with murder.
Rosemary is safe. She was taken to the Child Advocacy Center in Denton for evaluation and to determine where she will stay.
Police credit the clerks and the Amber Alert for finding Rosemary.
“On the heels of tragedy, we had the best possible outcome occur,” said Chief Derick Miller, Carrollton Police Department.
“We get them [Amber Alerts] all the time and they can be annoying at times, but this one ended up saving a little girls life,” said Villareal.