For one 10-year-old girl, a trip to the corner store almost turned tragic. While walking down the street with her 2-year-old brother, a man tried to kidnap her off a street in South Philadelphia. Amazingly, the whole horrifying crime was caught on surveillance cameras.
The video shows the man pull his car to the side of the road, wait for the kids walking hand-in-hand to pass by, then jump out of the car to sneak up behind them. He grabs the little girl, muzzles her mouth with his hand, and tries to run off with her, but she bit and kicked him, defensive moves her father says she learned from watching Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Police say he was also scared off by her brother's startled reaction. "Ultimately, with the screams from this little boy and by her account [the victim] says the child literally screams louder than anything she's ever heard before, he literally interrupts this assault," said Captain John Darby. The suspect is still on the run, but thanks to the cameras, they have a good description of the man and his car.
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We hear about children being snatched all the time. Usually, as we listen to the police describe what they think happened, we may try to piece together a picture of the crime in our mind. But to see it actually unfold right before your eyes is truly terrifying.
See the young girl's scary ordeal here:
What's your reaction to seeing an attempted abduction play out before your eyes?
Image via violet sugar/Flickr
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Comments 55
Yes I agree the children should not have been walking alone, but on the same note how many times have we seen children taken right from their own yard or at the park with their parents right there. These parents have obviously taught their children what to do when a stranger approaches. That is most likely what saved them. I live in a very small town in Wyoming and a little 2 year old girl was taken right out of her bed while the mother was asleep. That was just a few weeks ago a few blocks from my house. Luckily, they found the little girl only 8 miles away. It just goes to show you that we can do everything in our power to protect our children, but teaching them what to do in these types of situations is the best defense we can give them.
I agree with every one who wants to know why the hell these kids were out by themselves. Thats insane, I live in the city but happen to be one of the few people to have a private yard for my kids to play I have put up a fence to keep them in and away from the road and even with that I do not allow my children to step foot outside my door with out me or my husband right there with them, we wont even run into the house to grab a drink while they are out there I make them all come back in with me to do that. Maybe that is a little over protective but I would rather leave no opprotunities for some one to try to steal one of my children. My oldest is only 8 and my middle child is only 4 and my youngest for now is only 2. I just cant imagine what kind of parent would allow their ten year old child to be responsible for not only her safety but also a 2 year olds safety out on a street by themselves. I see it all the time around here people having their older young children bring their baby and toddler children to stores parks and even the town pool. I dont understand how the town allows children to go into a public pool with out adult supervision but you would think that a parent wouldnt need to be told to keep their children safe and watch them
^^That doesn't sound overprotective to me, it sounds smart!!
So glad this little girl is ok!! I hope her parents won't allow her to do this again until she is much older!!
Oh goodness, would you look at that pack of sanctimommies! Listening to some of you, I really worry about our future generations that are being raised in a bubble. All of your kids will be paralyzed with fear the first time they are faced with an unfamiliar situation. Better, in my mind, to TEACH your children how to think, and how to defend themselves than to keep them in a bubble. My daughter is not quite 5 and is allowed to play outside by herself. She knows that she is not to go with anybody and that there are bad people. She comes and asks us before she goes in to the neighbor's house. That's not to say I send her out with instructions to come back at dark, like some of my friends do with their older children. She checks in every 20 minutes or so and I'm constantly looking outside to make sure she's where she's supposed to be. But I guess by most of your standards, I'm putting my kid in danger. By my standards, I'm teaching her to think for herself.
@ butterflyfreak... I would rather my kids be a in a "bubble" as you put it then be locked in some perverts basement being molested or killed because I was stupid enough to think that I could teach my 4 year old how to physically defend herself from an adult man trying to take her cuz you know kids get kidnapped because their parents didnt teach them how to think or defend themselves. lmfao are you kidding me think about how stuipid that sounds. Grown woman get abducted raped and murdered how the hell do you think you are going to teach a child to defend against a man trying to grab if it can happen to grown ass adults. I dont know what to say other then wow, good luck teaching your kid how to over power a grown adult.
My dad would never let me walk that far from home when i was ten.
We had to have a parent with us at all times.
Sure she didn't get kidnapped in broad day light. Where was the mom?