(ReclaimingAmerica.net) – A group of heroic students foiled an abduction attempt at a school bus stop in Gaithersburg, a town of 70,000 people in Western Maryland.
The attempted kidnapping occurred at about 7:20 a.m. on Monday when an adult male grabbed a child waiting at the bus stop on Towne Crest Drive, NBC News reported, as cited by Breitbart News.
The suspect – later identified by the Montgomery County police as 30-year-old Jamaal Germany of the same town – was trying to pull the child towards an apartment building nearby.
However, other students at the bus stop saw what he was doing and immediately knew they had to intervene to save the child, the local police said in a social media post.
Because of the students’ intervention, the student who was being kidnapped managed to break free and escape unhurt.
“When the school bus arrived, all the students boarded the bus, and the incident was reported to school staff,” the county police department informed further.
The detectives identified Jamaal Germany as the suspect and captured him for attempted kidnapping. Germany is held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
The report quotes one local parent as saying that the abduction attempt had occurred once before.
The principals of three Gaithersburg schools – Redland Middle School, Judith A Resnik Elementary School, and Col. Zadok Magruder High School – sent a letter to parents informing them about the incident.
They also promised heightened security at the bus stop where it occurred.
The students who acted fast to save the targeted child have been widely praised on social media.
“Awesome and brave kids to jump in and assist!” one Facebook user wrote.
“Great job kids. We all have to be the EYES to protect and report to police immediately,” commented another.
According to the New York-based nonprofit Child Find of America, kidnapping by strangers could be one of the main reasons children could go missing.
“Non-family abductions occur when someone who is not a relative abducts and detains a child without lawful authority or parental permission with the intention to keep the child permanently,” the organization’s website reads.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, based in Alexandria, Virginia, warns that attempted abductions are more likely to happen while children are on their way to or returning from school or extracurricular activities.
“School-age children are at greatest risk on school days before and after school (7–9 a.m. and 3–4 p.m.) and after dinner time (6–7 p.m.),” the group’s website informs.
What is your reaction? Are you proud of these kids for the way they took action? Share your thoughts by emailing [email protected]. Thank you.
A group of sharp young people who thwarted an alleged kidnapping attempt Monday in Maryland are being praised for their bravery. https://t.co/U0WfOSKc36
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) March 23, 2023
