Boy with slingshot saves his eight-year-old sister from kidnapping after he shot man with ‘black mohawk’ in the head and chest
- The 8-year-old girl was mushroom hunting when the 17-year-old tried to kidnap her
- Her 13-year-old brother sprang into action, hitting him several times with a slingshot
- According to the police, the 17-year-old would severely beat the 8-year-old girl
An 8-year-old Michigan girl was rescued from a kidnapping and “severely beaten” by a 17-year-old man after her brother shot him in the chest and head with a slingshot.
The girl, whose identity is not known, was mushroom hunting near the woods just outside Alpena Township in the north of the state, police say.
The victim’s uncle posted on Facebook that the 17-year-old male suspect had a “black mohawk” and had come out of the woods, covered the young girl’s mouth and then tried to drag her away.
Her 13-year-old brother watched the fight from the family’s home and took action, grabbing his slingshot and firing objects at the would-be kidnapper’s head and chest.
“That made him let go,” said Lieutenant John Grimshaw, commander of the Michigan State Troopers’ local post.
Lieutenant John Grimshaw said the suspect admitted his intention to severely beat the eight-year-old girl if he managed to drag her away
An eight-year-old Michigan girl was saved from a kidnapping attempt by a 17-year-old thanks to her brother’s use of a slingshot to stop the kidnapper, who would go on to beat her badly in the woods
“The girl managed to fight and get away and he shot another, punched the suspect in the chest and then fled,” he said. 9 and 10 News.
Grimshaw said the suspect admitted his intention was to severely beat the eight-year-old girl after kidnapping her.
The suspect, who was also unidentified due to his age, ran away from the two children and tried to hide before authorities found him at a nearby gas station.
The victim’s brother was credited with being heroic and making it easier for police to identify the suspect.
“What he did also helped us identify who the suspect was because he clearly had injuries from being hit with a slingshot,” Grimshaw said.
Authorities said the victim and her parents were both emotionally shaken, but the girl was unharmed.
The suspect ran away from the two children and tried to hide before authorities found him at a nearby gas station
Authorities said the victim and her parents were both emotionally shaken, but the girl was unharmed
Her uncle, Gary Quintel, wrote, “I am very proud of my cousin and I know my niece has been traumatized and I am praying for her. [that] must have been very scary for her.’
Grimshaw offered advice to people who might become victims of kidnapping attempts in the future.
“Fight, fight, do all you can bite the hand you hold with one hand over your mouth. If that’s the case, stomp their feet, kick their shins, do what you can to fight.”
And when your mouth is free, shout as loud as you can,” the commander added.
The suspect, who is a minor and has not been identified, is held in a juvenile detention cell. His next court date is scheduled for May 17.