Attempted abduction of 7-year-old girl thwarted in Sterling Heights

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (FOX 2) - An attempt to kidnap a 7-year-old girl at North Clinton River Park in Sterling Heights was prevented on Tuesday.

The suspect, a 23-year-old from Shelby Township, is now in custody, according to Sterling Height police. A Good Samaritan who helped save the girl was a member of Citizens on Patrol in Sterling Heights. 

Around 2:20 p.m., the Sterling Heights Police Department received a 911 call regarding a disturbance at the park.

The 7-year-old's uncle, Dylan Childers, told FOX 2 that his wife and their 8-year-old son were at the park with the girl when the suspect tried to abduct her.

"When (my wife) was heading out of the park, there was a guy that pulled up in a car, and he got out and ran after my niece, grabbed her by her hair and carried her to the car real quick, and tried to crawl over her into the driver’s seat and take off himself," Childers said. "She jumped into the car, hung on to the steering wheel and fought with him until they drove back and forth."

Childers' 8-year-old son tried to help out too, but ended up getting injured by the suspect.

"He’s young, he thought he was going to be a superhero. He says ‘hey I’m going to stand right in front of the vehicle with my bike’ and the guy had actually ran him right over," Childester said. "Messed his leg up, and now he’s in the hospital being checked out for that."

A citizen witnessed the altercation and intervened, pulling the suspect out of the car until officers arrived. 

The suspect was arrested and is now awaiting official charges and arraignment.

North Clinton River Park in Sterling Heights.

"Unbeknownst to our officers, the suspect was wanted for a previous attempted kidnapping in Clinton Township earlier in the day," according to Sterling Heights police. "The Clinton Township Police Department is pursuing charges for that incident as well."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Sterling Heights police's investigative division at 586-446-2825.

"Due to the outstanding job by the aunt of the 7-year-old, our volunteer citizen and the officers who arrived quickly on scene, a very dangerous suspect was taken off the streets, and a 7-year-old girl was saved from being further harmed," Sterling Heights Police said. "We will pursue every possible felony charge the law will allow against this individual."

More information and possible video will be released on Wednesday, according to police.