Attempted kidnapping of a 4-year-old in Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This happened to my kid (same age too) by a woman. My kid fought her off and ran to me. She was drunk and high. She needed treatment and social services to get her a stable place to live. None of which she will ever get in the US!

Does she turn it down? You are correct, we need to pass laws to involuntarily treat and hospitalize people.

You see, there's this little thing called the Constitution that doesn't allow the government to simply round up and involuntarily hospitalize and treat undesirable people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PSA: remind your kids to NOT ENGAGE wtih strangers. And WTF was a 4yo doing talking to some rando w/o parents nearby?

Still, betcha the attempted kidnapper has a screw or two loose and has a record.

Did it say the kid was talking to the stranger? I have a three year old and I hold her hand in crowded places but if a man ran really fast behind us and grabbed her he certainly could.

DP here.

I didn't see any reports that the kid was talking to a stranger. But even if he was, so what. We don't teach our kids not to talk to strangers. We're not that paranoid.

WTF????

What? If we were that paranoid, we wouldn't live in the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't say stranger in the posting, does it? Kidnappings are often by the non-custodial parent.

It was by all accounts a stranger. If they knew who the guy was, they wouldn't be posting his picture in an attempt to have him identified.

DUH.

[Anonymous]

I also don't see anything that says the girl was talking to the kidnapper. Why jump to blaming the victim?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What the living F! I am so tired of the F -Ing city council and mayor not legislating in mental illness and the rampant public drug use in the city. This guy was sick in the head or high as a kite, or both!

I assure you this was not a "mental health" issue.

The photo with his arms straight out certainly appears to indicate either mental illness or drug use to me.

How often do you walk around like that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This happened to my kid (same age too) by a woman. My kid fought her off and ran to me. She was drunk and high. She needed treatment and social services to get her a stable place to live. None of which she will ever get in the US!

Does she turn it down? You are correct, we need to pass laws to involuntarily treat and hospitalize people.

Does she turn down what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PSA: remind your kids to NOT ENGAGE wtih strangers. And WTF was a 4yo doing talking to some rando w/o parents nearby?

Still, betcha the attempted kidnapper has a screw or two loose and has a record.

Did it say the kid was talking to the stranger? I have a three year old and I hold her hand in crowded places but if a man ran really fast behind us and grabbed her he certainly could.

DP here.

I didn't see any reports that the kid was talking to a stranger. But even if he was, so what. We don't teach our kids not to talk to strangers. We're not that paranoid.

WTF????

What? If we were that paranoid, we wouldn't live in the city.

I agree with you. If you think every unknown person is a killer or con, the city is not for you. Kids should be cautious not paranoid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also don't see anything that says the girl was talking to the kidnapper. Why jump to blaming the victim?

The police reported that the perpetrator engaged the victim before he attempted to snatch the little boy. No one should be blaming a little boy for anything in the scenario and I don’t think that was PPs point.

Ten years ago someone tried to snatch my then 4 year old. It was awful but ended well. My child doesnt recall it but my older kids do.

[Anonymous]

In Texas, the answer is YES without a doubt. Texas Penal Code Chapter 9.32 explicitly states than an actor (you ) may use deadly force to prevent imminent commission of a laundry list of violent crimes, among them the crime of “"aggravated kidnapping”, which is the Texas legal term for what you describe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In Texas, the answer is YES without a doubt. Texas Penal Code Chapter 9.32 explicitly states than an actor (you ) may use deadly force to prevent imminent commission of a laundry list of violent crimes, among them the crime of “"aggravated kidnapping”, which is the Texas legal term for what you describe.

That is a terrible law. Note the mistaken scenario a PP described where she originally thought a man was attempting a kidnapping and it turned out the woman was. What if she has shot the man??!?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What the living F! I am so tired of the F -Ing city council and mayor not legislating in mental illness and the rampant public drug use in the city. This guy was sick in the head or high as a kite, or both!

I assure you this was not a "mental health" issue.

The photo with his arms straight out certainly appears to indicate either mental illness or drug use to me.

How often do you walk around like that?

There is nothing to indicate he was "walking around like that." That could have just been one split second where he was stretching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I witnessed a kudnapping in downtown Bethesda 2.5 years ago, I called 911, kid was found safe 30 minutes later. Terrifying!!!

What? I live in downtown Bethesda with my two kids. Can you tell me more?

I was driving. My daughter was in the back seat. It was a weekday, early evening and dark out. I was on Woodmont heading home, at the stop sign near BGR. A woman ran up behind an older man and 5 year old girl leaving Tasty Diner. (I later found out it was a grandfather / granddaughter.). The woman knocked him down from behind, knocked him down (later found out he had a broken something, nose?) she snatched the kid, ran into the consignment shop to hide. She was babbling to the salespeople that “the older man had inappropriate intentions towards the little girl, and she had to save her.” (Again, found out these details later.) I called 911. They were on the scene impressively fast! I told them I think they are in the consignment shop. About 45 minutes later, they came out with the woman (tall, thin, AA, 30’s, found out later thar she lived in Bethesda.) I stayed in the scene to give a statement. Just soooo glad it ended well!

PP you replied to. Thank you for your intervention that day!!! What a scare that poor little kid had, as well as her grandfather.

Thank you, MoCo Planning Board!

NP.. ?.. what does the Planning Board have to do with what happened?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In Texas, the answer is YES without a doubt. Texas Penal Code Chapter 9.32 explicitly states than an actor (you ) may use deadly force to prevent imminent commission of a laundry list of violent crimes, among them the crime of “"aggravated kidnapping”, which is the Texas legal term for what you describe.

The answer is not *gun* always. We need to bring back a social safety net. People need affordable housing, treatment for drugs and alcohol, and help if someone loses a job or housing. It would be nice to prevent crime rather than just shoot everybody!

[Anonymous]

Account on NBC says family was getting into their car and while the child was waiting to get in, a complete stranger grabbed him.

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/like-a-tug-of-war-police-search-for-man-who-tried-to-kidnap-boy-in-georgetown/3071964/

NOTHING about a child talking to a stranger.

[Anonymous]

Correction: article says it is not known whether the would be kidnapper knew the child.