A 13-year-old Michigan boy is being hailed a hero after thwarting a would-be kidnapper using only a slingshot. The boy's 8-year-old sister was reportedly hunting for mushrooms in her backyard when the alleged assailant appeared in the woods. At the time, no one could have known his sinister intentions.
The mysterious 17-year-old male who was hiding in the woods was arrested and will be charged as an adult. He reportedly confessed to police that he intended to do harm to the girl. The frightening scene happened fast, but bravery and quick thinking may have saved the young girl's life.
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The incident unfolded in the family's backyard.
The 8-year-old girl was hunting for mushrooms on May 10 while a teenage boy was reportedly hunting her. MLive obtained a news release from the Michigan State Police that stated the teen grabbed the girl and covered her mouth.
A struggle ensued, but thankfully, the girl's teenage brother saw the event unfolding and sprang into action. He grabbed a slingshot and began firing at the alleged kidnapper. He struck him twice — once in the head and once in the chest.
The older teen fled.
The 17-year-old was seemingly scared off by the slingshot and escaped into the woods. While the 13-year-old was defending his sister, another family member witnessed the struggle and reportedly called the police for help, MLive reported.
Police immediately began to look for the suspect and found him at a nearby gas station with visible wounds a short time later.
Things could have become desperate if her brother had not been such a quick thinker.
According to the press release, the teenage suspect reportedly told police that he intended to hurt the girl, admitting he wanted to beat her severely. His confession led to multiple charges.
During his arraignment on Thursday, the teen was charged with one count of attempted kidnapping/child enticement, one count of attempted assault to do great bodily harm less than murder, and one count of assault and battery, MLive reported.
He was being held at Alpena County Jail on a $150,000 cash surety. He will be charged as an adult and is scheduled to be back in court May 17 for a probable cause conference.
'There's evil out there,' a police lieutenant said.
Michigan State Police Lt. John Grimshaw said this story proves that even at home, you must be on guard because bad people are everywhere. "It just goes to show that there's evil out there and that it can find anybody, anywhere," he explained via NBC News.
He hailed the 13-year-old as a hero, adding that the boy saved his sister from a potentially deadly situation. "To pop into action like that is extraordinary. He should be commended for it," Grimshaw said.
Grimshaw admitted that although it may seem humorous, the injuries from the slingshot made the suspect easy to identify. The physical evidence proved "very valuable," he said.
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Statistics show that nonfamily kidnappings can be deadly.
Kidnappings by strangers is rare — according to the FBI, fewer than 1% of children are abducted by someone they don't know — but, scary nonetheless. According to reports, fewer than 8% of those children make it home.
“It doesn’t happen very often, but they’re certainly the cases that capture our attention because they strike at our worst fears,” Robert Lowery, a vice president at the National Center for Missing & Exploited, told Reuters.
