Grand Island police are praising a 13-year-old victim of an attempted kidnapping Monday in Grand Island for his bravery in “doing the right thing” by fighting off his alleged attacker.
Around 9 p.m. Monday, the male teenager was walking home from school in the area of 12th Street and Elm Street when he saw a male milling around a red car near an alley. Jim Duering, a Grand Island Police Department captain, said the teen crossed the street to avoid the man, but the man followed, and began talking to the teen.
The suspect approached the teen, grabbed him by both wrists and tried to pull him across the street back toward the car. The teen yelled for help, fought his attacker and was able to get away from the man and run home.
“He did everything you’re supposed to do. Our victim is pretty savvy of a man,” Duering said. “He took some really good safety measures throughout this whole thing.”
Officers went to the area of the incident and between statements from the teen and video surveillance from homes in the area, established a person of interest who was already wanted on several active warrants, Duering said.
People are also reading…
Police contacted Luis Carillo Argueta, 22, of Grand Island and arrested him on a misdemeanor Hall County warrant, and later arrested him on suspicion of the attempted kidnapping.
The teen wasn’t seriously injured.
Had it not been for the teen’s “situational awareness,” Duering said the incident could’ve been much worse.
“The victim really did everything you could ask of him. When it comes right down to it he did everything right. Create distance from unknown people, yell as loud as you can for as long as you can, fight and try to get away,” he said. “We should probably have him (victim) teaching a class.”
The incident remains under investigation.
According to Hall County Court records, a warrant was issued for Argueta on Oct. 20 for failing to appear in court for a hearing on misdemeanor charges of driving under suspension and fictitious license plates.
