Good samaritan rescues girl from kidnapper

[Bill Mattocks]

Love stories like this:

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=7706683

FRESNO, Calif. (KABC) -- An 8-year-old kidnapping victim in Fresno was saved due to a Good Samaritan's bold move that caught a suspect off guard Tuesday.
The alleged kidnapper, identified as 24-year-old Gregorio Gonzalez of Fresno, was spotted in a parking lot by a driver, Victor Perez, in central Fresno.

...
"He maneuvered his vehicle in front of the suspect vehicle, causing the vehicle to stop. The suspect actually opened the passenger door and pushed [the girl] out of the car onto the roadway," said Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer. "[The 8-year-old] took the moment of opportunity, opened up the passenger door and jumped out," Dyer said.
"I thank God that he put me here to help out that little girl. That's for sure," said Perez.

 

[seasoned]

It pays to be vigilant, good for you, Gregorio. Most of the time things like this turn out very bad.

 

[bluewaveschool]

Not good for Gregorio, he was the kidnapper.

 

[MA-Caver]

I saw the video on this and appreciate what the guy did... put him self in potential danger 4 times to ensure the safety of this little girl whom he did not know personally. A definite hero.
He said that he did it because he has his own small children and nieces/nephews and put them in her place and knew he had to do SOMETHING.
She is a beautiful little girl and I'm glad that she will continue on in this life with the knowledge that there are good people amongst the bad and those who WILL help her if she is in trouble.
Lord knows what that guy would've done with her had he managed to get away with her still in the truck.

 

[fireman00]

glad it turned out well, but what if the filthy kidnapper had a gun and decided to do the little girl before help arrived?

I'd think that calling 911 and following the suspect would have been the better choice.

 

[Mark Jordan]

Kudos to Victor Perez for acting on pure instinct! It was a heroic act. Good to know that it turned out well.

 

[Bruno@MT]

glad it turned out well, but what if the filthy kidnapper had a gun and decided to do the little girl before help arrived?

I'd think that calling 911 and following the suspect would have been the better choice.

Safer choice, not necessarily better.
Because he could have lost them, and if the plates / car were stolen, the kidnapper would have gotten away with the girl.

 

[Carol]

The better choice is the one that happened -- the one that ended up with the little girl being safely rescued.

 

[MA-Caver]

glad it turned out well, but what if the filthy kidnapper had a gun and decided to do the little girl before help arrived?

I'd think that calling 911 and following the suspect would have been the better choice.

Safer choice, not necessarily better.
Because he could have lost them, and if the plates / car were stolen, the kidnapper would have gotten away with the girl.

Agreed and it's what the reporters (?) on the video had said. Far too many people take the "safer" route or do nothing. True the guy took the risk of the perp being armed and dangerous... but police officers take that risk as well and though it's their job they still have a choice to simply follow the vehicle until back up arrives and all of that.
The guy made a choice to DO something right then and there. Perhaps he is like many of us, tired of hearing about these amber alerts and the often times tragic endings to them. I know I am.

 

[Bruno@MT]

The guy made a choice to DO something right then and there. Perhaps he is like many of us, tired of hearing about these amber alerts and the often times tragic endings to them. I know I am.

I know this changed for me when I became father for the first time. It made me look differently at many things.

For example, if I see a small kid alone outside in a shopping street, I look around to see if I can find the likely parents and tell them their little one is eloping. If I see kids step into cars at school that I don't think are their parents' I make note of the license plates, just in case. If I see things that I am unsure about, I'll keep watching from a short distance to see how it pans out. Things like this.

If I am honest I cannot say how I would react in such circumstances. I never had to do anything like that. But if I was convinced that it is indeed a kidnapping, then I am fairly sure I would try to stop it. Because I know I would die inside if something like that happened to one of my daughters, and I would be eternally grateful to someone who'd step in at that point.