That Time Courtney Best Saved a 7-Year-Old Kid’s Life
Nicholas is one happy boy
Courtney Best stepped outside the pizza shop she worked on her break as she does every day. But this particular smoke break would turn the woman into a hero after she spotted a car matching the description of an Amber Alert that had just come through on her phone and possibly saved a 7-year-old boy’s life. Making things more amazing, Best said she usually did not take her cell phone outside on break nor did she pay attention to Amber Alerts.
The incident occurred in 2015. Then 26-years-old, Best stood out front of the Papa Murphy’s pizza joint in Corpus Christi on July 9. Best usually went out back to smoke. Something told her to go out front this day.
Best sees a white Dodge Avenger pull into the parking lot. About that time, an Amber Alert flashes across the screen of her phone. She didn’t think it was the same vehicle at first. When a man and young boy got out of the car matching the description in the alert, Best took it a little more seriously. The boy appeared to be sad, Best said.
Best Follows Dodge Avenger
Curious, Best jumped inside her vehicle and drove past the Avenger, matching the plate number to that in the Amber Alert. It was 7-year-old Nicholas Gomez. He had been abducted by his mother’s ex-boyfriend, Channing Galbraith. The man told Nicholas’s mother that he was taking him to repair a bicycle but never returned with him.
Galbraith Arrested; Nicholas Safe
Courtney followed the Avenger as it left the parking lot. She called 911 to tell police she spotted the Avenger they were searching for. The police arrived, arrested Galbraith, and charged him with kidnapping. Paramedics took Nicholas to the local hospital for examination, although he did not appear to be injured.
Galbraith’s violent criminal history included a sexual assault of a child charge in 2014.
“What are the odds of me looking at my phone?” said Courtney.”And I usually don’t even look at amber alerts, as bad as that sounds, I look at them and I don’t really pay attention. And I was like, he couldn’t get from Alice in that little bit of time. Sure enough it was him.”- Ms. Best
What Happened in the Case?
Information about the outcome of the case is currently unavailable. However, the name Channing Galbraith does not appear in a Texas Department of Corrections inmate search or a county jail search.
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