An 11-year-old girl in Washington is being praised for quick thinking and decisive self-defense after police say she escaped a man who attempted to kidnap her.
The child had been playing soccer with friends on Monday, Dec. 15, in Vancouver — a city near the Oregon border about 10 miles north of Portland — according to reports from NBC affiliate KTVB, Oregon Live and ABC affiliate KATU.
Police arrested Jerson Hartman later that day. He was booked on charges of second-degree attempted kidnapping and second-degree attempted robbery, according to court records. Hartman pleaded not guilty at his initial arraignment this week and is being held on $50,000 bail.
According to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by Oregon Live, the girl was walking home around 5:30 p.m. when a man wearing a ski mask grabbed her by the elbow and said, “come here little girl.”
In an interview with investigators, the girl said she felt “uncomfortable” as soon as she noticed the masked man approaching her, KTVB reported. She screamed for help, but the man told her to “shut up,” the affidavit states, before taking her cellphone, preventing her from calling anyone.
With the man still gripping her arm, the girl tried to pull free — then kicked him in the groin and ran, KATU reported. She made it to a friend’s apartment and called police. Officers noted in the affidavit that the girl still had red marks on her wrists when they arrived.
Hartman was taken into custody shortly afterward, and the girl identified the 31-year-old — who is from Twin Falls, Idaho — as the suspect, according to reports.
Court records indicate Hartman is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 20, with a trial date set for Feb. 9.
