Police have released chilling CCTV footage showing the attempted abduction of a four-year-old girl from a phone shop in Victorville, California.
The footage shows a mother entering the store with the child and a baby in her arms, with the four-year-old heading over to a sweet dispenser at one side of the waiting area.
Just to the left of the camera, and all in a split second, a man is seen ducking into the shop, grabbing the child by her arm and pulling her outside before taking off.
The mother and a fellow customer dashed outside to catch the child, who is said to have escaped from the clutches of her abductor by throwing herself onto the ground.
The suspect, since named as 24-year-old Terry Ransom, was then chased down the street by the store owner’s husband and another customer. Neighbours alerted to the commotion joined in the pursuit of Ransom, and he was quickly apprehended.
Police arrived on the scene shortly after, and Ransom was arrested. He has since been charged with kidnapping and child cruelty.
Appearing before a judge last night, Ransom reportedly told the court that he had been in hospital on the day before the attempted abduction and was ‘so strung out he doesn’t recall anything’.
Thank heavens this little girl escaped.
Check out the chilling footage below.
