Police are thanking three 11-year-old girls who witnessed an alleged kidnapping attempt and helped save a 6-year-old girl. On July 16, 2024, at around 8 p.m., multiple children went outside at an apartment complex because of an ice cream truck, according to the Kent Police Department in Kent, Washington.
Among the children getting treats from the ice cream truck were three 11-year-old girls who noticed something suspicious and quickly and bravely intervened. As they approached the ice cream truck to get some snacks, they saw a man holding onto a 6-year-old neighbor.
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The three girls reportedly noticed that the 6-year-old girl appeared to be "afraid." They also heard the girl tell the man to let go of her, so they started to use their phones to record what was happening. They decided to speak to the man directly, and officers praised them for their "selfless bravery" and "maturity and protectiveness."
According to the statement shared by police, the man tried to get away from the girls, but they continued to follow him and asked him if he knew the 6-year-old girl. He reportedly said "yes" but the 6-year-old girl shook her head "no."
After being confronted by the older girls, the man put the 6-year-old girl down on the ground and ran away, and the preteen girls were able to take the younger girl back to her apartment. A 911 caller also reported the alleged kidnapping attempt and "gave an excellent description of the man, which allowed two of the first responding Officers to locate him as they arrived."
Even though the man had tried to leave the scene, officers were able to find him, and they say it's thanks to the girls' "intervention, the excellent description of the suspect from the 911 caller, and the swift response by multiple KPD Officers."
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In the news release, police praised the girls who "saw their friend and neighbor being taken by a stranger, and stepped in without pause to bring her to safety."
"We are so proud of you. You are amazing," they wrote.
The man, who is 40 years old and from Kent, was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping but has not formally been charged yet, reported KING-TV.
KING-TV attempted to speak to the 6-year-old girl's mother, but because of a language barrier, they spoke to her teen nephew instead, who said the family was "shocked" about what happened but "grateful" that people intervened and protected the young girl. Police noted that "this outcome took a village."
