Stray Shot from Slingshot... 13-Year-Old American Boy Prevents Sister's Abduction

8-Year-Old Girl Nearly Kidnapped in Backyard
Suspect Is 17-Year-Old Boy...Caught Nearby

A 13-year-old boy living in Michigan, USA, became a topic of conversation after using a slingshot to defeat a stranger who tried to kidnap his 8-year-old sister.

According to foreign media including the AP news agency and NBC on the 14th (local time), the incident occurred on the 10th in Alpena, a small city with a population of about 10,000. At the time, the 8-year-old girl was picking mushrooms in her backyard when a man from a nearby forest approached her. The man grabbed the girl, covered her mouth, and attempted to kidnap her.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

The girl’s 13-year-old older brother, who witnessed the scene, immediately grabbed a slingshot and hit the suspect on the head and chest. The suspect, hit by the slingshot, sustained noticeable large wounds, stopped the crime, and fled. Later, based on testimonies from the victim’s family and other witnesses, the police tracked the suspect and were able to arrest him at a nearby gas station on the day of the crime. The suspect is a 17-year-old boy, and detailed personal information such as his name has not been disclosed. He has been charged with attempted kidnapping and child enticement, assault, and is currently in custody.

The police praised the girl’s brother for bravely stepping forward with a slingshot, which prevented the kidnapping of his younger sister.

Kidnapping of minors is not uncommon in the United States. According to Statista, a global research firm, the number of children and adolescents under 21 reported missing in the US in 2019 was 448,090. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) estimates that about 350 of these cases per year involve abductions by strangers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.