Tom GantertPhoenix, AZ – A Good Samaritan with a gun stopped a would-be kidnapper from abducting an 11-year-old girl on her way to school.
The child’s father told KPHO that the incident occurred on April 2, but she didn’t tell her teacher about it until the next day.
Phoenix Police Sergeant Tommy Thompson said the suspect approached the 11-year-old girl from behind and grabbed her arm, and then pulled it behind her back, according to WJBK.
Sgt. Thompson said the suspect then put his arm over the girl’s face while she was walking.
The suspect began talking with the girl and neighbor who was described as living on the north side of the block intervened.
Witnesses said the Good Samaritan neighbor knocked the suspect down and told him to leave the girl alone.
Then he pointed a handgun at the suspect and told him to leave, according to WJBK.
The suspect fled. The little girl did not know her would-be abductor, KPHO reported.
The Phoenix Police Department is still looking for the male suspect who was described as a dark-skinned black man with green eyes and a stud nose piercing. He was wearing a black hoodie.
Police plan to release a composite sketch of the suspect later this week.
Don George, who lives in the neighborhood, said lots of children walk down that block on their way to school every morning.
And he wholeheartedly approved of the Good Samaritan’s actions.
“They told us somebody from the north side of this block intervened and stopped the guy from abducting the little girl,” George said. “Congratulations, you get an award for this my friend.”
The girl’s father said his daughter is still scared but was unharmed. He said he will be driving the little girl to school for the time being.
The Deer Valley Unified School District sent a letter home on Monday warning parents about the incident, according to KPHO.
Many parents were seen walking their children to school after they found out, the Arizona Republic reported.
Police have kept a patrol car posted at the school since they became aware of the incident.