STERLING HEIGHT, Mich. – Police have released video of the attempted abduction of a 7-year-old girl from Clinton River Park North.
A 23-year-old man from Shelby Township is facing charges after he reportedly attempted to take the girl in broad daylight.
The incident happened just before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13. Police said the girl was at the park with her aunt and cousin when it happened.
A surveillance camera recorded a man exit a white car, walk over to the girl, grab her off her bike and run back to the car. The girl’s aunt then ran up to the vehicle and began to fight with the man as he attempted to drive off, but another witness intervened and used his truck to block the attempted abductor’s vehicle.
Footage of the incident can be watched in the video player above.
The witness who intervened, Scott Van-Luven, happened to be a member of Citizens On Patrol for the Sterling Heights Police Department.
“I pulled him out and pushed him against his vehicle and held him there until police officers arrived,” Van-Luven said.
Chief Dale Dwojakowski credits the aunt and Van-Luven with preventing the girl from being taken.
“The aunt immediately just completely went into warrior mode,” Dwojakowski said. “That aunt jumps in the passenger side of the car and starts fighting with the suspect as he’s trying to drive the car forwards and backwards to shake her out of the car.”
Van-Luven has been with Citizens On Patrol for 14 years, but being the father of two daughters, the incident hit home for him.
“I’m definitely still trying to process what happened. It’s something you don’t see every day,” Van-Luven said. “I just feel for the family. I’m glad I was there to help.”
Police connected the suspect to a separate kidnapping attempt that happened an hour earlier in Clinton Township. Authorities said a 15-year-old girl was grabbed off the street and forced into the white car at about 1:30 p.m. It too was thwarted by a Good Samaritan. A Clinton Township resident who saw the abduction physically intervened, which allowed the girl to escape and call 911.
The suspect has been charged with attempted unlawful imprisonment, assault and battery and kidnapping/child enticement and was arraigned Thursday, Aug. 15. He is being held without bond.
