Bystanders Step In After Naked Man Allegedly Attempts to Kidnap Girl During Family Vacation in Portland
A family vacation in Portland, Oregon, turned into a frightening encounter Saturday evening when a naked man allegedly grabbed a 7-year-old girl and attempted to pull her away from her mother.
The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Daniel C. Vasey, was arrested after parents and bystanders intervened, with police saying the intervention caused him to release the child.
The incident began shortly before 7 p.m. local time when Portland police received multiple emergency calls reporting a naked man running through the waterfront area near Southwest Naito Parkway.
One caller reported that the man had attempted to punch someone in the head, but police said officers assigned to the Central Precinct were unavailable because they were handling other calls, including a reported disturbance involving a gun, according to Oregon Live.
According to investigators, the child’s mother held onto her daughter as Vasey allegedly continued trying to pull her away, creating a struggle that lifted the girl off the ground.
When officers eventually arrived, they did not immediately find Vasey on land.
Police said they located him in the nearby Willamette River, where he was reportedly wading or swimming while still naked.
The incident has renewed questions about emergency response times after police confirmed that officers were unable to immediately respond to the earlier reports involving Vasey.
The case also comes after other recent incidents in Portland where bystanders have intervened while waiting for police response.
The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Daniel C. Vasey, was arrested after parents and bystanders intervened, with police saying the intervention caused him to release the child.
The incident began shortly before 7 p.m. local time when Portland police received multiple emergency calls reporting a naked man running through the waterfront area near Southwest Naito Parkway.
One caller reported that the man had attempted to punch someone in the head, but police said officers assigned to the Central Precinct were unavailable because they were handling other calls, including a reported disturbance involving a gun, according to Oregon Live.
According to investigators, the child’s mother held onto her daughter as Vasey allegedly continued trying to pull her away, creating a struggle that lifted the girl off the ground.
When officers eventually arrived, they did not immediately find Vasey on land.
Police said they located him in the nearby Willamette River, where he was reportedly wading or swimming while still naked.
The incident has renewed questions about emergency response times after police confirmed that officers were unable to immediately respond to the earlier reports involving Vasey.
The case also comes after other recent incidents in Portland where bystanders have intervened while waiting for police response.
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