According to a local report, a Florida man who pursued two girls into a church in a purported attempt to kidnap them last week was caught, thanks to an alert mother.
According to Hillsborough County deputies, David Daniels, 37, of Brandon, started following the 2 elementary school-aged girls from Cherry’s Bar and Grill in Fishhawk’s park square, informing them he would oversee their walk home.
As Daniels guided the girls past a church, a good Samaritan who noticed them expressed concern that something was off.
“One of the little girls was mouthing to me, ‘Please help me, this is not my dad,’” the woman, who did not wish to be identified, told the station.
According to the woman, Daniels put his arm around one of the girls’ neck and began whispering something in her ear. According to the woman, he then stated that they had recently moved here and wanted to assist.
Because she suspected the man was lying, the woman said she decided to invite them into the church until she could call police for assistance.
Deputies arrived and found Daniels walking back toward the downtown area, where he was arrested.
Deputies said Daniels had repeatedly hit one of the girls in the head and put the other in a headlock before they arrived at the church. According to deputies, the children thought they were being abducted.
The unnamed good Samaritan, who is also a mom, stated that she does not desire to be acknowledged for her assistance to the children.
“I don’t want to be a hero,” she said. “I just did what I hope anybody would do for my own kids.”
According to online records, Daniels was booked at the Hillsborough County Jail on two counts of false imprisonment of a child and child abuse. He was being held on a bond of $104,000.
