He saw a man yanking an 11-year-old and knew it 'didn't look right' — then she mouthed 2 words and he had to call cops
Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of abuse and kidnapping that might be distressing to some readers.
Taking action when something feels off might save a person's life. A man managed to save an 11-year-old girl simply because he noticed something was amiss and was on alert after that. He saw that the girl was being dragged by a man and it looked unusual. For a moment, he felt that it might be someone the girl knew, but she mouthed something to him as they walked past and the man knew he had to get her out of it, per the Cincinnati Enquirer.
The person, Nazier Elahee, saw that a girl was being dragged by an older man at the 6400 block of Wiehe Road and something was sketchy about the whole thing. "I noticed that a man was walking down the street toting a girl behind him, pulling her by the wrist. But as they walked passed us, she looked back at me and mouthed the words 'help me' several times," Elahee recounted. The girl was trying to escape the man, Jessie Woodard Jr., who was trying to drag her with him. Elahee immediately went behind them and asked the girl if she knew Woodard. "When she said no, I was like, 'What's going on?' I asked the gentleman if he knew her and he said, 'No, I'm taking her home.'"
Elahee called the police then and there. The suspect tried to escape the scene, but the man chased him to the Zee Food Mart until the police arrived. "If he had gotten that little girl to wherever he was going to, she could have been raped... killed. If I could have done something else, I would have, but the right thing to do was to call the police and keep the girl safe." Woodard was charged with kidnapping after the incident. The entire situation occurred right outside the Golf Manor Police Department, per Local 12 News. It was in broad daylight and there were plenty of people around when the man tried to kidnap the girl. The police chief pointed out that it was a very "bold" move.
The police department also released a video of the entire incident that was caught on a camera at the location. The 11-year-old was playing in the park when the kidnapper saw her. He grabbed her when she was trying to cross the street. "Very unusual, yes, if you look at the video, you can see people coming and going and there's activity in the park," a cop told the outlet. The man was pulling the girl in the opposite direction of her home and had gotten down Wiehe Road with her. Elahee thought it was the girl's father at first, but knew something was wrong at a closer look. He stopped them and asked if the girl was okay and she said, "No." He separated them and called 911 after that. "Nobody should worry about their kid going to the park and not coming back home. I have an 11-year-old myself," Elahee continued.
People shared their thoughts on the man's brave act in the comments section of the video. @humdee3989 wrote, "A father who took a moment to ask if another young girl was alright! Sir, you are a gentleman, a hero and someone that little girl will never forget! Your daughter is blessed to have you as her protector. May all your prayers be answered. God bless you!" @angelac6405 commented, "Excellent job, he got involved and saved that child's life. He is a HERO!" @angiewuging8375 remarked, "A true hero! More people should just ask questions, despite what they are thinking. God bless you!"