Five Year Old Girl is Victim of Attempted Kidnapping

This is the story of a an attempted kidnapping that happened many years ago. The victim was a five year old girl who was shopping in a department store with her father.

The five year old girl entered the crowded store with her father. As the father began shopping for a gift for his wife, the girl's mother, the girl soon became very bored. When the father was momentarily distracted, the girl wandered away and ducked into the center of a rack of clothing.

Suddenly the girl saw a man's hand extended through the clothing, beckoning her. She thought it was her father, so she took hold of the hand, and they began to walk away together. The girl was glad that it appeared that they were leaving this boring store. She did not look up; certainly her father was angry at her for wandering away, she thought. He began to walk faster, and the girl struggled to keep up with him. Then the girl looked up at him as they hurried along. It was not her father!

Just then the girl heard her name being called very loudly. She turned to respond, but the man pulled her back. The girl began to cry as she tried to resist. The man then picked up the girl and carried her as he ran through the store and out the huge glass doors into the parking lot. The girl was crying loudly, and the man told her to be quiet.

Suddenly the girl was aware of her father running after them, calling her name loudly. The man heard it too, and as he turned to look, he tripped and fell, still holding onto the girl. By this time the father had caught up with them, and pulled the girl away from the man. The girl was still crying loudly, but now she was safely in her father's arms. But all this was beginning to cause quite a commotion in the parking lot. So much so that the store security guard ran over. The guard tackled the man as he tried to make his escape, handcuffed him, and led him back into the store.

During the time when this event occurred, child kidnapping was not as prevalent or as publicized as it is today. After the man was caught and apprehended by the store security guard, it was discovered that he had several shoplifted items hidden under his coat. He was arrested and sent to jail for shoplifting. However, incredibly, he was never charged with or served time for attempted kidnapping.

The five year old girl, comforted by her father, finally stopped crying. The attempted kidnapping was a terrifying experience for the girl, one that she will never forget.

I know this because I was that five year old girl, and this is my story, one that I will never forget.