(CNN) — A Michigan teenager used a slingshot to fend off a kidnapper who had grabbed his younger sister while she was playing in their backyard Wednesday, according to Michigan State Police.
The 8-year-old girl was “mushroom hunting” in the backyard of her Alpena Township home when a man emerged from the woods adjacent to the backyard, grabbed her and put his hand over her mouth in an attempt to pull her inside in the woods, State Police Sergeant Shane Smith told CNN on Saturday.
The girl’s 13-year-old brother, who was in his room inside their home, heard his sister’s screams and grabbed a slingshot, pointed it at the kidnapper from his bedroom and hit the man in the head, Smith explained. The brother then grabbed another rock, put it in his slingshot, and hit the man again, this time in the chest.
The kidnapper jumped away from being hit with the slingshot, allowing the young girl to struggle out of his grip and run back into her home, Smith said. The kidnapper then fled into the woods, taking a well-worn trail used by the community, Smith said.
Before calling the authorities, the young girl’s family called other family members and told them about the incident so they could be on the lookout for the man in the woods.
A little later, the kidnapper was seen in the parking lot of a Big Lots store and then seen going into a gas station bathroom, Smith said. Michigan State Troopers found the young man, later found to be 17 years old, and took him into custody.
The juvenile later told state police detectives that he struggles with anger issues and was “looking for someone to physically assault,” and the young girl happened to be where he was, Smith explained.
The juvenile was arrested and charged with kidnapping and attempted murder and is currently being held in the Alpena County Jail on $150,000 bond, according to police.
