A man was arrested in Colorado when his parents identified him and his vehicle in surveillance images and turned him over to authorities.
According to a statement released by the Thorton Police Department on Thursday, 28-year-old Diego James Gettler was charged with second-degree kidnapping for attempting to abduct a 10-year-old child outside her school.
According to the arrest affidavit acquired by People, the girl told police officers that a guy approached her in the vicinity of her school on September 23. She stated that he asked her if she attended school after her mother left her off at school in the morning, according to the affidavit cited by People.
According to the affidavit seen by People, she told investigators that the man made her feel uncomfortable as he walked behind her up the stairs, past her, and then walked back down towards her.
According to arrest papers obtained by People, the man from behind put his grip and arm around the girl’s waist, causing her to scream. The man then covered her mouth with his hand to prevent her from screaming for aid, according to the affidavit cited by People.
According to News 9 Thorton, the girl “told detectives she began holding the man and was able to remove the mask he was wearing, at which point the man appeared frightened and fled on foot.”
According to the affidavit reviewed by News 9, the girl informed investigators there were no other kids, instructors, or school personnel in the vicinity and that she pounded on the windows until school officials opened the doors for her after she escaped.
Thorton police said surveillance footage captured the man, who was wearing a black Adidas sweater, black jeans, and black shoes, parking and fleeing in a gray Saturn Aura near the school.
The suspect entered the vehicle through the passenger side and observed that damage to the driver’s side door prevented it from opening.
News 9 said that a few days later, Gettler’s parents went to the Thornton police station and identified their son as possibly being involved after recognizing him and his vehicle in images retrieved from surveillance tape.
According to the news source, Gettler’s parents recognized the damage on the driver’s side of the vehicle in the video and stated it was the result of a previous car accident, which is why he had to enter the vehicle by the passenger side.
According to News 9, Gettler’s parents provided cops with his cell phone information, and investigators were able to determine that his phone was in the area during the event.
