I don't know what I would do if I saw someone trying to abduct my child. I hope I never have to find out, but I certainly hope it would be something along the lines of what South Carolina dad Roger Lee Whitlock did.
There he was at the library with his son Lee Lee, his fiance, and her father. While the father filled out job applications online, Roger took Lee Lee outside to have a little snack. The boy was on the other side of a pillar from him, but not more than a foot away, he told The Independent Mail. It's a good thing he was that close, because what happened next is every parent's nightmare.
He told the paper:
I heard a voice say to Lee Lee: "Hey, do you want to go home with me?" But I didn’t think anything about it at first, because he’s so cute and people say that to him when they are teasing him. But then, I saw a man reach out and grab Lee Lee’s arm.
That's where I would hope I wouldn't be too stunned to move, or standing there in disbelief that this could really be happening. Whitlock certainly didn't. Instead, he pummeled the guy.
I whirled around and punched the man, and he ran off. I hit him pretty hard and he was oozing blood.
It's too bad he got away, but hopefully the beating will teach him a thing or two and police will track him down. It's so terrifying to me that people like are out there, and it makes me hyper alert in public when I know things like this can happen in a swift second, even when you're right there. I don't want to be paranoid, and I know these creeps are few and far between, but they ARE out there. Knowing that makes me want to hold their hands as much as they'll let me ... and perhaps brush up on some boxing moves too.
Do you feel like you need to hold on to your children when you're in public?
Image via Tim Parkinson/Flickr
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Comments 68
I work for a large retail chain and one day one of my supervisors was standing, staring at one of bathrooms. I walked over and then saw what he was looking at....a baby girl, no more than 9 months old sitting in a cart chewing on her moms wallet. Mom had positioned the cart to block the bathroom door which also happens to be right by the front door of the store. The bathroom mom had decided to use is what we call the family restroom...in other words its big enough to fit a cart or stroller and is private. Why mom did not take her in there with her is beyond me but she also left her with her wallet and purse. Someone could have easily walked out of the store with her little girl and she would have been none the wiser until she came out. I dont want to seem mean but she didnt deserve that little girl and there are no excuses for leaving her daughter out there like that.
There are so many things that I witness parents doing every day that makes me want to slap them.
I work for a large retail chain and one day one of my supervisors was standing, staring at one of bathrooms. I walked over and then saw what he was looking at....a baby girl, no more than 9 months old sitting in a cart chewing on her moms wallet. Mom had positioned the cart to block the bathroom door which also happens to be right by the front door of the store. The bathroom mom had decided to use is what we call the family restroom...in other words its big enough to fit a cart or stroller and is private. Why mom did not take her in there with her is beyond me but she also left her with her wallet and purse. Someone could have easily walked out of the store with her little girl and she would have been none the wiser until she came out. I dont want to seem mean but she didnt deserve that little girl and there are no excuses for leaving her daughter out there like that.
There are so many things that I witness parents doing every day that makes me want to slap them.
I was practically sobbing. Costco was so nice and sent their biggest guy out with us and loaded everything in my car while i held my daughter close. I was shaking so badly i went to my husbands work in case the creep was following us home. when i told my husband what happened and what if the man had tried to take our baby...my husband calmly asked me.."what would you have done?" and i instantly replied " i would have fought him off with my last breath and kicked his a$$". He said he would have done the same thing... the part that scares me the same most was that this was any ordinary day in our neighborhood store. it CAN happen and you can NEVER be too careful!
Man, some of you have had some very scary incidents - I can't imagine!! It's always good to vigilant, but it seems like too many parents are living in paralyzing fear. I remember the first time that my eldest daughter stepped onto the bus for her first day of school, I realized that her life for 8 hours a day was utterly out of my control. Wow! My way to work through those innate fears that I think all of us moms have is to do three things.
First, I remind myself that statistically, only a little over 1% of child abductions occur by complete strangers. Secondly, I talk to my kids about who they are allowed to go somewhere with, or what to do if someone tries to take them against their will. Lastly, and most importantly, I pray over them each day that God protects them!
I just don't want my kids to grow up having a sense of fear at the world, but a sense of confidence that their parents will do their best to protect them, and that they can trust their instincts and are equipped to handle whatever situation gets thrown their way.
I always have my son hold my hand wherever we go. It's like second nature to us. I'd like to think that I would fight to the death if someone tried to take my child. Fortunately I have never been in that situation and I hope I never have to be. Good on that dad to punch that creep. I personally would have tackled him and started raining down punches.
I am always paranoid, once I told my daughtert to wait just outside the front door, shes 5. I told her I needed to set the alarm, I closed the front door set the alarm and left, noticed she wasnt at the door, I ran looking for her .she was hiding behind my car, I yelled at her because thats just not cool. I thought someone snatched her. and then when I went to walmart this morning I made her stay close to me she kept trying to go behind me but I dont like that either, I try to keep her at my side or at least an arms length in front of me.
I don't know, where is the link to the orignial news story? Is it possible the man thought the child was lost or was going to help the child find a parent? I think that child abduction is rare & people tend to over react to inocent situations. Not saying that this is the case, but I don't like to jump to conclusions to what is obviously an incomplete story.