Thanks to some quick thinking, an 8-year-old girl from San Diego, California, saved herself and her 3-year-old brother from a […]
Thanks to some quick thinking, an 8-year-old girl from San Diego, California, saved herself and her 3-year-old brother from a kidnapper at the last moment.
On April 9, 2018, Malaiah and her brother went to a beauty supply warehouse with their father, Rodney Cole. It was a hot day outside and since he knew it would just be a quick trip, he left his children in the running car with the air conditioning on.
Less than two minutes passed before the abductor, a woman, saw her opportunity.
Malaiah recalls, “She looked at the car, and saw that it was on and had children in. Then she got in and started driving.”
Her father saw the car driving off and came running down the street from the store to catch them.
“I saw my dad coming out the store and I saw him banging on the window, but she rolled the window up.”
That’s when Malaiah remembered the phone, which would now be critical for her survival. She called 911.
The operator asked where she was, and she spotted a sign for the Mexico border. The alleged kidnapper tried to grab the phone from her as she was speaking to the dispatcher, but because she was in the backseat the 8-year-old was able to find a place where it couldn’t be reached.
Finally, the little girl gave up the phone, but by that time, the police had already located them. Guns drawn, they rescued the kids and took the woman into custody.
Malaiah and her brother were rescued with just two minutes left before the woman would have arrived at the border.
Her bravery and quick thinking likely saved her life and her little brother’s life. Then she bravely faced reporters, explaining what had happened with amazing calm and poise.
Authorities say they don’t yet know what the motive was. The woman was unknown to all involved.
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