Passing children on bicycles and a man who appeared to be their dad, most people would think nothing of it.
On Monday, one Florida woman was presented with this situation and quickly realized something was terribly wrong. Jumping into action, her plan resulted in the rescue of two kids and the arrest of their apparent would-be kidnapper.
The woman spotted the two children on bikes with an adult male walking behind them.
According to WTVT-TV, the unnamed woman quickly approached the man, identified as 37-year-old David Daniels, and confronted him.
The man continued to grapple with and talk over the young girl.
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“He was kind of talking over her,” the woman explained to WTVT, “right behind her, putting his arm around her neck, saying something in her ear, and just saying, ‘We just moved here. … We just want to see how we can help do whatever you’re doing.’”
Fortunately, one of the children was able to mouth eight words that changed everything.
“One of the little girls was mouthing to me, ‘Please help me, this is not my dad,’” the woman said.
Without missing a beat, she played dumb and invited the three into a nearby church. As the ruse continued, Daniels’ story quickly began to fall apart.
“I engaged in conversation with him,” the woman explained. “I said, ‘Oh that’s nice, where did you move here from?’ He said, ‘Oh, I’m not really sure.’”
Eventually, she was able to call 911. Police intercepted Daniels as he was walking toward the downtown area. He is now facing charges of child abuse and false imprisonment.
According to WALA-TV, this was not Daniels’ first brush with the law.
Earlier this month, Daniels was seen acting strange at a park in Foley, Alabama.
Daniels left the area following a young girl. He then entered a house and told the homeowners there was an injured child in their shed.
“He ends up going to a house and walks into the house and tells the people there’s an injured little girl inside of their shed and they need to come get this girl out of there,” Foley Police Chief Thurston Bullock told WALA.
Police arrived shortly before the homeowners’ young daughter did. They didn’t find an injured child in any shed.
The young girl then described a creepy man loitering around the park, sealing the deal for Daniels.
Foley police arrested Daniels on criminal trespassing and intoxication charges. A day later, Daniels’ mother bailed him out and said they were traveling to Florida to get mental help for the seemingly troubled man.
Daniels is now being held in the Hillsborough County Jail with a bond of $104,000.
