After a criminal attempt to steal a child that occurred here several years ago, families have stopped coming to the park. After hearing stories like this, parents and guardians will be concerned.
On that day, something terrible occurred in Freddie Cantrell’s neighborhood. You won’t forget that day if you were there as well. Freddie lives next door to Regional Park in Auburn. His kids and ex-wife go there frequently to participate in outdoor activities. That day, his ex-wife and her spouse were caring for the children when something inexplicable happened out of the blue.
They used to enjoy that park, according to Cantrell. He stated, “I got a phone call from my ex-wife telling me that I need to come down quickly. She said ‘Someone just tried to kidnap our daughter, Aubrey.’”
The rest of the family, including the three-year-old twins’ sister Natalie, were there to witness it all. She recalls, “Some unknown guy just came here, started dragging her. He attempted to run over and take her with him.”
They took immediate action, which they did not allow happen. The children’s mother and her spouse were running to apprehend the criminal, while their child was crying desperately for help. Cantrell saw them and began to run in the opposite direction; knowing that cornering him would be the only way to catch him was one of his motives for doing so.
Cantrell commented, “He was wearing handcuffs wrapped across his fingers and tried to use them on me. He intended to make them seem like brass knuckles and punch me with them. I had no other option than to act immediately and knock him out.”
He continued, “I heard so many people praising me and telling me ‘Oh, you’re such a hero, you saved the girl’, and I don’t know what else to respond then to tell them ‘That little girl is my daughter, and I must protect her at any cost. ’”
Yonel Hernandez-Velasco, a 26-year-old Mexican national, was the kidnapper. Hernandez-Velasco was arrested for attempted kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon just minutes after the Deputy County arrived at the scene.
According to a neighbor who saw the event, “We watch the news every day, we are aware of the bad things happening to other people. We just hope that something like that will never happen to our children.” McGuinness’s 11-year-old son jumped in and stated, “I can’t imagine what would happen if the roles switched and I was the victim. Usually, I come here alone.”
Residents of the area near Regional Park are relieved that the criminal has been captured and is no longer a threat. One neighbor stated, “My reaction would be similar, if not the same. We are talking about kids here it doesn’t matter if they are mine, or someone else.”
The mother of the youngsters was prompted to post the narrative on Facebook because she was “inspired by this book that I’m going to share with you.” Her statement went viral, with over 1,000 shares and hundreds of comments from concerned individuals all around the country.
His identity was unknown, as was the fact that he had been under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He was taken to a hospital and blood samples were taken in order to determine who he was. He was swiftly arrested and charged with those offenses, too. The court has set his bail at $1.2 million.
