Driver noticed a terrified girl being led by a woman — then began pretending to be the girl's mom to stop attempted kidnapping
Many people go out of their way to help others with the mindset that the person could be someone they care about. Anyone would want someone to help their loved ones too if they're ever found in danger. A 12-year-old girl named Amy Martinez was on her way to school when a woman tried to kidnap her, ABC 13 News reported. In a matter of seconds, the little girl was frightened, confused, and shocked. It seemed like the woman had her way with the child and was going to be successful with the kidnapping attempt until a kind stranger courageously intervened. She spotted Martinez’s signs of struggle and immediately acted to rescue her.
The 12-year-old was shaken after being approached and grabbed by the suspicious woman. "I thought that I was never going to see my mom or my family again," she said. The kidnapper reportedly ran across the street, grabbed her, and forced her to walk along with her. As Martinez tried to scream, it didn’t work, and she had no option but to comply, per KTLA. “She told me in Spanish not to cry but I wasn’t even crying,” the little girl said. Fortunately, Martinez spotted the stranger driving by. This motorist was reportedly dropping her child off at school and took notice of the 12-year-old.
Seeing Martinez struggling, she rolled down her window to check if she was okay. When she asked Martinez if she was okay, she said no. Immediately, the woman knew she had to intervene. "She said she had, in her mind, had five seconds to come up with something to save this child," Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department said. With no time and a totally unexpected situation, the good Samaritan went with the first thing that came to her mind. "She tells the suspect that she's the child's mother and she wants the child back,” Bertagna noted.
"I was basically yelling, 'Let her go,' so as soon as my voice changed, she let her go and Amy walked into my car,” the motorist noted. The child was finally safe, and the kind stranger was able to take a breath of relief. She was no less than an angel to Martinez as she arrived in time, spotted the unusuality and acted immediately. She went on to drop the little girl off at school. Cinthia Esparza, Martinez's aunt, remarked, "It's a place where there are a lot of cars and not one stopped until this lady came. In our eyes, she's our angel.” The kidnapper was identified as Claudia Hernandez Diaz and was taken into custody for kidnapping.
The good Samaritan wished to keep her identity anonymous but noted that she was just vouching for another’s child, being a mother herself. She credited her motherly instinct for reacting the way she did. "You're a parent, you see somebody else's child in danger, automatically you react as if it were yours," she said. The 12-year-old is grateful to be safe and alive, thanks to the split-second decision and response from the stranger. “I want to say thank you for saving my life and you're my hero,” she said.