A frightening scene unfolded Saturday evening at Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park when a naked man allegedly attempted to kidnap a 7-year-old girl visiting the city with her family.
According to Portland Police, officers first received calls shortly before 7 p.m. reporting a nude man running through the popular waterfront park. One caller told dispatchers the man had also attempted to punch someone. Police acknowledged that officers were unavailable at the time because they were handling other emergency calls elsewhere in the city.
Roughly 12 minutes later, another emergency call reported that the suspect had allegedly grabbed a young girl and was attempting to pull her away from her mother.
Investigators say the suspect, later identified as 31-year-old Daniel Vasey, grabbed the girl’s arm while she was with her family. The girl’s mother immediately fought to keep hold of her daughter, grabbing the child’s other arm. Police said the struggle became so intense that the child was briefly lifted off the ground as the two adults pulled in opposite directions.
The girl’s father quickly joined the struggle, and several bystanders rushed to help. Witnesses reportedly punched, slapped and physically pulled the suspect away from the child. One person also deployed pepper spray in an effort to stop the confrontation and keep the suspect away from other park visitors.
The collective effort succeeded in forcing the suspect to release the girl before he could leave the area.
When officers arrived, they located the suspect swimming in the nearby Willamette River. He was taken into custody without further incident and transported to the Multnomah County Detention Center.
Vasey now faces multiple charges, including first-degree attempted kidnapping, second-degree attempted kidnapping, first-degree custodial interference, third-degree assault and harassment.
Despite the violent nature of the encounter, authorities said the 7-year-old girl escaped serious injury. Paramedics evaluated her at the scene and treated minor scratches, but she did not require hospitalization.
Police said the family was visiting Portland from another state when the incident occurred.
The case remains under investigation, and authorities have not yet released additional information regarding a possible motive.
The heroes in this story weren’t government officials. They were ordinary Americans who saw a little girl in danger and immediately sprang into action.
There’s also an uncomfortable detail here, multiple calls about the suspect came in before the alleged kidnapping attempt, but no officers were available. Thankfully, mom, dad, and a handful of courageous strangers were.
The suspect picked the wrong little girl, the wrong parents, and the wrong crowd.
Fox News: Naked man tries to kidnap 7-year-old tourist from mother at Portland park, bystanders intervene
