Current:Home > Finance'We are so proud of you': 3 pre-teens thwart man trying to kidnap 6-year-old girl -WealthMindset Learning
'We are so proud of you': 3 pre-teens thwart man trying to kidnap 6-year-old girl
View
Date:2025-04-13 17:53:04
Three Washington girls are being hailed as heroes after they stopped the attempted kidnapping of a 6-year-old girl.
Police got a 911 call about a man abducting a young girl at an apartment complex in the Seattle suburb of Kent just after 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Kent Police Department.
Police said a witness told 911 dispatchers that they had witnessed the man picking up the young girl while she screamed and that the man did not appear to be a relative. The eyewitness gave officers a detailed description of the man.
When officers arrived at the scene, they quickly found a man matching the description. He tried to flee but officers quickly detained him, they said.
Soon after police learned about the pivotal actions of three 11-year-old girls who had been there, saying in a news release that the girls showed "selfless bravery" and "stepped in without pause" to help the 6-year-old.
Man used ice cream truck to lure children in the complex, police said
Witnesses told police that an ice cream truck had entered the apartment complex, attracting a group of children.
As three pre-teen girls were headed to the truck to buy some treats, they noticed a man holding the wrist of their 6-year-old neighbor, police said.
The 6-year-old’s brother, who was nearby, called to the girl to come to him but she could not break the man's hold, police said.
"The girls stated she looked afraid, and the man appeared to be pulling her forcibly along," police said. "They could hear her telling the man to let her go. They began to follow because it was obvious to them that she was trying to get away and they were sure he did not know the victim."
Girls work together to stop attempted kidnapping
Using their phones, the girls began to record the man, telling him to leave the younger girl alone, police said.
The man picked up the 6-year-old girl and tried to “speed walk” away from them, police said, but the girls kept following him. They asked the man if he knew the girl and he said he did but the girl shook her head no, police said.
Police said the man then put the girl on the ground and began to run away. The girls took the 6-year-old back to safety and her parents confirmed that the suspect was a stranger.
Missing teen found safe:14-year-old Utah girl missing 2 weeks in Mexico found safe; uncle facing kidnapping charge
Man detained and faces kidnapping charges
Police said that the suspect is a 40-year-old local man and that he was arrested on kidnapping charges and booked at the King County Jail.
“The little girl is now safe, the man is in jail, and we are impressed beyond words at the maturity and protectiveness displayed by these preteen girls,” the police department said in a statement. “We are so proud of you. You are amazing.”
USA TODAY reached out to Kent Police Department but have not heard back yet.
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.
veryGood! (16)
Related
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- Horoscopes Today, September 20, 2024
- A man is fatally shot by officers years after police tried to steer him away from crime
- Secret Service’s next challenge: Keeping scores of world leaders safe at the UN General Assembly
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- 90 Day Fiancé’s Big Ed Brown Details PDA-Filled Engagement to Dream Girl Porscha Raemond
- Election 2024 Latest: Trump and Harris campaign for undecided voters with just 6 weeks left
- David Beckham talks family, Victoria doc and how Leonardo DiCaprio helped him win an Emmy
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- The Fate of Pretty Little Liars Reboot Revealed After 2 Seasons
Ranking
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Civil War Museum in Texas closing its doors in October; antique shop to sell artifacts
- Hilarie Burton Shares Update on One Tree Hill Revival
- Katy Perry Reveals How She and Orlando Bloom Navigate Hot and Fast Arguments
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- The head of Boeing’s defense and space business is out as company tries to fix troubled contracts
- Election 2024 Latest: Trump and Harris campaign for undecided voters with just 6 weeks left
- Aaron Rodgers isn't a savior just yet, but QB could be just what Jets need
Recommendation
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
14 people arrested in Tulane protests found not guilty of misdemeanors
Over 137,000 Lucid beds sold on Amazon, Walmart recalled after injury risks
Caitlin Clark rewrites WNBA record book: Inside look at rookie's amazing season
Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
California governor to sign a law to protect children from social media addiction
Friends Creators Address Matthew Perry's Absence Ahead of Show's 30th Anniversary
Were warning signs ignored? Things to know about this week’s testimony on the Titan sub disaster