STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – The aunt who fought off a man that was trying to abduct her 7-year-old niece described her harrowing story.
The incident occurred on Tuesday (Aug. 13) around 2:20 p.m. at Riverland Park in Sterling Heights as Alecia said she ran to the rescue.
“I couldn’t let her go,” said Alecia. “There was no way I could let her go.”
The incident was captured on security camera video as Endi Bala of Shelby Township, who is accused of not only trying to abduct the 7-year-old girl but also is accused of trying to snatch a 15-year-old earlier the same day in Clinton Township.
Alecia said she jumped through the driver’s side window to grab the steering wheel and Bala and fight him off.
“He was screaming, and I could hear him saying, ‘Let go, let go, let go,’” the aunt said. “It (Language) was very broken. He said something at the end, but I just kept telling her (7-year-old) to go, don’t give up, and thank God we were so connected, and she fought for her life.”
Alecia was on rollerblades when the abduction attempt occurred, but she was too determined to help her niece escape being captured.
“When I saw him going towards her, I booked it on my rollerblades, and I just prayed that I would not fall, and I dove through the driver’s window,” Alecia said. “He was grabbing her and throwing her in the passenger side and trying to climb over her, and we both just fought for the steering wheel, and I just snaked my arms in as far as I could so that I could not fall out of the car because I just didn’t know what was happening and I could not let her go.”
Bala was officially charged Thursday afternoon in court.
Alecia said her 8-year-old son was there with her and in the midst of the kidnapping, he got in front of the car sat down on it. Officials said he was hurt as the car was hitting him as he was trying to save his cousin.
You can watch the full Sterling Heights arraignment below.
